Parent Tips For Report Card Time

By Renee, LSWA

“School’s out for summer! School’s out with fever!” As you‘re children are doing the happy dance, you are shuffling through all of the “stuff” they’ve accumulated this year in their desk and locker. You finally get to the bottom of the backpack and shoved in between old math tests and frog anatomy quizzes, you find the dreaded report card! The happy dance seizes and that look comes over your child. You both lock eyes on each other and then the envelope that will determine whether or not there is summer school in your child’s future or a celebration trip to Rita’s for a gelati. By this time, you’ve both broken out into a sweat. Any of this sound familiar?

Report card time can be stressful not just for you but for your child. So in an effort to help parents and children across the globe, I want to offer up a few tips that will help ease the potential pain and suffering.

1. Be calm! Give your child an opportunity to tell you about any problems or low grades.

2. Don’t expect the worst. You may be pleasantly surprised. Most children don’t set out with the goal of getting the poorest grades possible.

3. Sit down with your child and go over the report card together. Report card time is not the time to retreat to your respective corners and spar over grades.

4. Praise your child! Find at least one positive aspect of your child’s report card or semester to compliment. Maybe it’s their attendance record or a comment by a teacher about their hard work or participation.

5. Ask your child what they think they can do to make better grades. Open up the lines of communication. You may discover what the cause of the poor grades really is.

6. Ask how you can help your child do better in school. They need to know you are on their side and are interested in really helping them.

7. If needed, contact your child’s teacher and make a plan. You are just as responsible for your child’s learning as the teacher. In fact, you are the #1 teacher in their lives.

Life is about learning and we all aren’t perfect all the time. Be proactive in your child’s learning by modeling good work habits and showing your willingness to learn new things. It’s okay for your children to see that you aren’t perfect either but that you do try your best. Hopefully, when that next report card comes out, it’s not stuffed in the abyss of their backpack but offered up from their outstretched hand with a smile. Then you both can do the happy dance and sing those oh so profound Alice Cooper lyrics!