For boys and girls, the experience of going to school is much more than a way to learn subjects; It constitutes one of the most important aspects of the lives of the youngest. In both childhood and adolescence, school is a crucial space quantitatively (they spend a lot of time there) and qualitatively (there they learn to socialize and get to know the world in which they live).
But it is clear that there are ways to make more or less use of children’s time at school, and in this sense, school grades are one of the best indicators to know if a student is performing adequately in their studies. However… What do we do, as parents, when faced with our children’s bad grades? Throughout this article you will find several recommendations to take into account.
Given the problems of academic performance in boys and girls, It is important that parents adapt their parenting style to each particular case: There are no easy solutions that work the same way in all cases, and it is always essential to know the characteristics of the minor and the context in which he or she lives.
For this reason, it is sometimes very difficult to know what is “failing” and what gives rise to bad grades, and in fact, in most cases there is not a single cause, but several that interact with each other. And, in the most severe cases, it becomes necessary to resort to psychologists trained in child and adolescent intervention.
However, there are times when it is possible to help the child by slightly modifying the educational and parenting strategies from home, in combination with good communication with the school. That is why below We will review several tips on how to manage our children’s bad grades from our role as fathers and mothers.
1. Talk to your son or daughter not to lecture, but to listen
It is very important to know their point of view on why they are getting bad grades. It is not about simply accepting their version as good, but rather knowing that information, because it is valuable and helps to understand the motivations and incentives (or lack thereof) associated with obtaining good academic results.
You must approach this dialogue from assertiveness showing that you respect their point of view but making it clear that, a priori, their low grades are a problem to be solved (we will see exceptions to this later).
2. Talk to the school
It is also essential that you talk to your class tutor to find out more about what is happening; If there is, also talk to the school psychologist or the psychopedagogy team.
In this way you will learn about aspects that may partly explain their poor grades and, in general, their way of experiencing school And if there are signs of a learning or neurodevelopmental disorder such as ADHD, you will also know.
If this type of circumstance occurs, it is important to diagnose the problem as soon as possible by going to the psychologist, and if it is confirmed that there is a disorder, you can readjust the expectations of the grades that your son or daughter should be getting, in addition to taking the necessary measures to adapt school education to their needs.
3. Help him schedule his study times
Create a schedule that incorporates daily study and/or homework sessions, and post it in a visible place in the house. This will act as a constant reminder that those daily minutes are part of your daily life, of the structure of the days of the week. And also, that way you will know if they are skipping those sessions or not.
Yes indeed, These schedules should allow you to have free time left: It is important that you can disconnect and socialize beyond your school obligations.
4. Teach him to summarize
Teaching him to summarize his notes well may take several days, but in the medium and long term, it pays off. Not only will it help you have better materials to study with, but it will also The summarizing activity will make it easier for you to understand what you read by selecting important ideas and connecting them to each other.
Many parents make the mistake of simply scolding their children for bad grades causing children to see school as a source of problems, something that can only detract from their well-being.
In reality, it is much better to reward your son or daughter every time he or she gets good grades. This does not have to involve giving material rewards; They can be symbolic adapted to their age and achievement, such as a figure or a medal, or a celebration. The idea is that you feel good about what you have achieved, that you are proud of your progress.
Are you looking for psychological assistance services for children and adolescents?
The upbringing and education of children and adolescents is a complicated task that, in many cases, is difficult for fathers and mothers. Luckily, some psychology centers offer both family support services and child and adolescent psychotherapy.
Therefore, if you are interested in having professional psychological assistance for these types of problems and needs, contact us. In Cribecca Psychology We can help you either in our center located in Seville or through the online therapy modality by video call.
