School Not A Challenge?

By Stacy DeBroff 

Children with advanced skills and intellect may not be able to reach their full potential without special attention and challenges from their teachers. They may not recognize just how far they can go, fear failure, fall prey to boredom, and develop negative attitudes towards class.

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Handling a Problematic Report Card

Regardless of the grades your child brings home, look for something positive to comment on first. Even a slight improvement deserves a positive comment, and if your child has been having a fair amount of trouble in a specific area, the attention you give to his improvement can encourage him to continue his progress. If your child feels proud of a grade for which he worked hard, compliment him on the success of his efforts.Show compassion and understanding when reacting to a bad report card, even if you feel disappointed. Talk with your child about what went wrong. A grade that comes as a surprise to you can be unexpected and disheartening to your child, as well.

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Parent-Teacher Rapport

By Stacy DeBroff

Forging a strong parent-teacher relationship early in the academic year will make it much easier for you if a problem arises later in the year. Frequent communication can stop small issues from growing into larger obstacles and provide new insights into your child's learning style and interpersonal dynamics. Limiting your involvement to troubleshooting when a problem arises diminishes the positive impact you have on your child's learning process and overall school experience.

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Gifts and Thank-yous

By Stacy DeBroff 

A great parent-teacher relationship can make a tremendous difference in the life of your child. Collaborating with your child’s teacher can provide a more consistent environment for your son or daughter. Recognizing those teachers that go the extra mile for your child is something that we as moms can do to further the relationship between parents and teachers.

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How to Handle Parent-Teacher Conferences

By Stacy DeBroff

The parent-teacher conference offers you the teacher's perspective on his abilities and progress, and a chance to use these insights to help him improve. You should approach a parent-teacher conference like you would an important business meeting - prepare yourself, keep organized, and follow through on your objectives.

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When Your Child Hates School

By Stacy DeBroff

Your child arrives home one day and declares: "I hate school." While this is something most parents will hear out of their child's mouth at one point or another, it is not something parents should ignore. If the issues behind your child's distress are not resolved, the problem can easily balloon up to become bigger and bigger and can result in your child faking sick to get out of going to school. To prevent smaller troubles from becoming ditch-worthy disasters, parents need to look closely at the root of the issue to nip it in the bud.

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