This is a struggle that every parent will deal with at some point in their child’s life. Earning and maintaining good grades is all about motivation, ambition and endurance, both for the child and the parents. Sometimes getting good grades has more to do with a child’s mental dedication and less to do with their overall level of intelligence.

Here are some tips for keeping your child on the bandwagon of good grades.

    •    Express the important of good grades to your child and the impact they will have on their future
    •    Reward your child for earning and maintaining good grades. Take them on a day trip of their choice, allow them to watch an extra hour of their favorite show, extend their curfew by an hour.
    •    Provide penalties for poor grades. If your child brings home a report card of C’s, D’s and F’s, some form of discipline should be enforced and you should encourage them to try harder.
    •    If your child is struggling, sit down and go through their assignments with them. If it is beyond your scope, hire a tutor.
    •    If your child is earning poor grades, schedule a meeting with their teachers and ask if there is anything you can do to help.
    •    Get your child involved in extracurricular activities, such as sports, as they often require a certain GPA to be maintained in order to participate.

The challenge often comes with getting your child to care and to be motivated to succeed. Sometimes it is hard for children to see the importance of learning a particular subject or completing a homework assignment. Honesty may be the best policy in these situations. Tell them that it may not be that important now, but they need to see the big picture and get used to doing things they may not like.

If you choose to go with a reward system for earning good grades, be careful not to overdo it. Your child does not need a new car for getting two A’s and should not be heavily rewarded for every good mark they receive. Be practical and remember that verbal recognition is sometimes all they need.

Additional Resources
    •    Helping Your Child Succeed in School
    •    Helping Your Child Succeed at School
    •    Reading Rockets:  Helping Your Child Succeed in School
    •    A Parent’s Guide to Elementary School Success
    •    100 Ways to Help Your Child and School Succeed
    •    How to Help Your Child Juggle Sports, School, and Life
    •    How to encourage your child to get good grades