10 School Problems Parents of Teens Face And What to Do About Them

Your teen spends too much time in detention/suspension/the principal’s office.

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1. Talk to the school guidance counselor and get the straight scoop on what happened and why your teen has this consequence.

2. Talk to your teen about the incident. Teach him/her to respect the authority the school has and expect that your teen will follow through with the consequence. Help your teen gain an understanding of what they’ve done wrong and how to prevent it from happening again by coming up with a plan to avoid the wrong-doing the next time.

3. Give your teen a clean slate and assure him/her that you are there for him/her by dropping it and not nagging about the incident long after it is over. Once the consequence is paid, it’s time to start anew.

If school discipline is an on-going problem for your teen, call into the guidance office and meet with someone who can help. Be as proactive as you can and listen to what others feel may be the problem.

• Your teen is falling asleep in class.
• Your teen is not getting along with a teacher.
• Your teen is having trouble doing the work or homework.
• Your teen is never prepared and needs you to get things at the last minute.
• Your teen is not involved in extracurricular activities and sports.
• Your teen is too involved and over scheduled.
• Your teen lacks direction, not isn’t thinking about his/her future – at all.
• Problems with his/her peer group that affects your teen’s performance at school.
• Your teen has a hard time taking tests.
• Your teen spends too much time in detention/suspension/the principal’s office.