Being a teenager can be difficult and confusing, and when it’s combined with high school, all the studying and trying to make friends sometimes becomes too much to bear. It’s in this period that your child needs to know they can count on you for support and advice, so here are some ways you can help them cope with high school.
Be active at school
You should be familiar with your child’s school, so try being involved in as many school activities as you can. Knowing the premises well, as well as the faculty can be important in keeping your child safe and having them advance at all times. Engage with your children and speak to them regarding the activities at school. Most children might be eager to leave high school and join college or take up other passions. Constantly, keep the communication channel always open with them. You can help them to pick their graduation regalia items (visit this site of Jostens for better reference), narrow down their college preferences, their line of study, and so on. Your child may appreciate the constant support that you show them. Now, if your child is still studying in high school, you may want to acquaint yourself with all the emergency contact information. When you know where you can find the school nurse, the school counselor, or where all the classrooms, the gym, and the cafeteria are, you’ll have no problem finding your child in case of an emergency. Attend all PTA meetings, back-to-school nights and other school events, so that you can mingle with other parents, but also your child’s teachers. If there’s ever a problem, this is how you’ll stay on top of things. Also, visit the school’s website to find information on the school calendar, special events, schedules, extracurricular activities, etc.
Help them study
When making a transition from elementary to high school, children can get confused with all the new obligations and situations they’re faced with. If they have study problems, you should help them overcome those by finding out what the problem actually is and working with them towards a solution. If their syllabus is too difficult for them to master, help them by hiring a tutor. This is especially important when they have to study for the big exams, like VCE in Australia, so if their own notes are insufficient or incoherent, suggest them to find the systematic VCE notes online and then study from those. Having good study materials can help them learn what they need, not only for their exams, but also for turning the knowledge they attain in school into useful life skills. Make sure they have a quiet place to study and that there aren’t any distractions to break their concentration.
Familiarize yourself with disciplinary and bullying policies
If you want your child to remain safe and happy, you need to know that the school you’re sending them to doesn’t tolerate bullying and that they maintain good discipline outside the classroom, as well as during classes. Bullying should be strictly defined and there should be a system of support for victims, along with the proper punishment for those who turn out to be bullies. Most schools are clear about the expectations they have of students and their staff, so they should also be clear about how they sanction those who don’t meet those expectations with regards to things like dress codes, language, use of phones, but also attendance, cheating, weapons and fighting.
Monitor their attendance
When your child has nausea, fever or other similar problems, it’s ok to take a sick day, but it’s otherwise crucial that they get to school on time. If they miss classes or whole days, it will be difficult for them to catch up with all the work and projects that were done on missed days. If you notice your child is skipping classes, find out the reason for that. They may have some problems with their friends or teachers, they may be bullied, have difficulties with some assignments, or they might just be in love. Talk to them and involve a school counselor if necessary, but find a way to solve whatever problem they have, so that they can continue with their daily schedule.
Keeping track of what’s happening with your child at school is important, so find time and patience to talk to your child every day. Listen to what they’re telling you and listen for what they’re omitting when talking to you. Knowing what you can about the school is great, but the most important thing is to know your child, and that’s the only way you can help them stay on track and be the best version of themselves through high school.
Infographic Provided By Trinity Christian College