We’re confident that most parents reading this article can testify that your child’s teenage years aren’t called ‘terrible’ for no reason, especially if you are in the 80% of all single parents across the U.S. Raising a child alone can be challenging enough, but when you throw in other difficulties like puberty and academic success it can become much more complicated for single parents to support their teen.
From juggling mood swings to trying to convince them to hand their homework in on time, it’s a stressful situation for all involved and, at times, can lead to singletons blaming themselves for their child’s failures. Due to this, single parents must find ways to support student achievement, some of which we outline below:
Help Them Create A Basic Routine
The difference in workloads between middle and high school can come as a nasty shock for most teenagers; due to this, they might find that they must make changes to their existing study routine to ensure they don’t fall behind.
Teens must learn how to manage their workload themselves, but this doesn’t mean that you can’t help them figure out what this routine looks like outside of an academic setting and check in with them to see if it’s working.
Additionally, you could point them in the direction of online articles, coaching programs, online speakers, etc., which provide many benefits for teens going through high school, from increasing their motivation levels to mastering many different learning techniques or strategies.
Seeking advice from knowledgeable professionals can help you answer the decade-old question; how to get teenagers to complete their homework? And provide you with the best answers that will enable you to support your teen without feeling like you’re breathing down their neck.
Monitor Their Studies
It can be challenging to see how well your child is succeeding at school when you’re not there to view it with your own eyes. However, when your child is out of an academic setting, it becomes much easier to keep an eye on them and ensure they stay on track.
Put yourself in the shoes of a high school hall monitor and regularly check in on your child, whether verbally or physically, to ensure that they’re getting on well and not falling behind. Now we’re not suggesting that you sneak around your home in a style akin to Mission Impossible.
But poking your head around the door every so often demonstrates to your child that you are interested in their learning and makes them much more likely to approach you should problems in their studies arise.
Share Success Stories
While connecting with your teen isn’t always the most straightforward task in the world, when you can share success stories, they can help keep your teen motivated to succeed in high school. Sharing stories about your academic achievements or other relatives can help show your teen that they’re not alone in their high school experience and that their hard work will pay off.
Although be sure not to be overkill and only share success stories when you feel that they will be of use to your teen, as the last thing you want to do is make them doubt their existing achievements or compare their success to other family members.