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Are you involved in
your teenager's life?
 
Teens
can be secretive creatures. So staying involved with a teen's life
presents a parent with special challenges. While you can't force your
teen to communicate, you can do things to keep the lines open.
See how you're doing by answering yes or
no to each statement below:
1. I
know where my teen is. If she's out with friends and plans change,
she knows to call to tell me where she will be.
2. I spend some time each day with my teen. Often,
it's just "hanging out" time-in the car, preparing dinner, watching TV.
These are the times when communication happens most naturally.
3. I attend school events.
4. I encourage my teen's friends to make our home a place where
they can spend time. When they're there, I don't leave.
5. I plan regular one-on-one time for my teen and me to do
something we both enjoy.
How well are you doing?
Each yes means you're doing a good job of creating ways for
your teen to keep in touch. For no answers, try those
ideas.
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Work with the school by making sure your teen is ready to learn
 You're
undoubtedly aware of the importance of working with your teen's school.
You attend the parent-teacher conferences, read notices from school and
join the parent-teacher organization. Working with your teen's
school as a team in these ways contributes to his success.
There's another way you can work with
your teen's school-without leaving your home. It's by sending your
teen to school "ready to learn." Here's how:
- Make sure your teen gets
enough sleep. He's probably very busy with homework and
activities, but getting enough sleep (eight or more hours) will ensure
that his brain is awake when he gets to school.
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- Insist on breakfast.
Studies have shown that students who eat breakfast are more alert and
achieve more than students who skip the "most important meal of the
day."
- Monitor homework. It's
difficult to help with homework in high school, especially in advanced
science and math classes. But you can make sure your teen is
completing homework by asking to look it over when he's finished.
Also provide a quiet, well-lit place for him to study.
- Talk about school.
Simply talking about what your teen learned at school each day shows
him that you think school is important. Knowing you care about
school will affect how he feels about it. He may try harder as a
result.
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