Teens and High School: Make Second Semester Downhill to Success

Another school year is almost over, which means one semester closer to graduation. Freshmen are gaining their confidence and looking forward to not being the new kid on the block. Sophomores are tightening the academic belt as they realize this year’s grades count toward college applications and scholarships. Juniors are looking forward to attending College Fairs and visiting university campuses around the country. The smell of success is definitely in the air.

And for seniors it means graduation is staring you in the face. It means senior photos, senior prom outfits, senior parties, and planning graduation celebrations with family and friends. But it also means there is time to “mess up.”

Parents, help your teens to stay on task and stay focused. Guide them to making wise choices. The last semester of high school is no time to ease up and relax. Even colleges, to which your teen has been accepted, take an additional look and seriously consider final grades. How very sad it would be to have a celebrated acceptance letter rescinded because final semester grades dropped – but it can happen.

Can we start a Parents’ To-Do List as the end of the school year approaches? We’ll include suggestions such as: do stay positive, no matter what; do enlist allies when situations become challenging; do take care of yourself so you can take care of your teen.

Please post other suggestions for the Parents' To-Do List that you think might be helpful, especially for first-time-parents-of-teens.