Webster County High School

Teach your teen to manage time, hour by hour Time management is a critical skill for busy teens. To encourage it, have your teen calculate the hours available in a week for activities, including studying (after subtracting time for sleeping, eating and school, there should be about 50-60 left). For one week, have your student keep an activity log during those hours. Then together, use the log to figure out the best times to study, like when your teen is most alert. Finally, have your teen plan the next week's study schedule. https://tpitip.com/?32iU18889

Encourage your teen to join the fight against bullying Bullying can be a problem in the teen years. That's bad news. But there is good news, too. At this age, teens are developing a strong sense of right and wrong, concern for others, and feelings of outrage about injustice. To help prevent bullying, discuss the different forms it takes and enlist your teen's help. Explain that it's important to tell a trusted adult right away if your student is aware of students threatening or bullying others. https://tpitip.com/?32iT18889

Offer a challenge to deal with distractions When an activity such as an online game or mobile app interferes with schoolwork, many parents take it away. But that may simply make the distraction more appealing to your teen. Instead, challenge your student to design a schedule that allows enough time to complete assignments with time to spare for the game when the work is done. Sticking to the schedule will strengthen responsibility and accountability. https://tpitip.com/?32iS18889

Teens often learn self-discipline by trial and error Research shows that self-discipline has a positive impact on students' grades, attendance and test scores. To help develop your teen's sense of self-discipline, avoid coming to the rescue (unless it's a matter of safety). A teen who experiences the consequences of forgetting to turn in an assignment, for example, will learn to plan ahead. You can also encourage your teen to participate in activities that require regular practice, such as playing a musical instrument or a sport. https://tpitip.com/?32iK18889

Help your teen explore strengths and discover interests One of the important ways teens can plan for life after high school is to learn more about their own strengths and interests. Encourage your teen to read a variety of materials that will introduce new possibilities. Suggest that your student ask people about their jobs and how they prepared for them. Then challenge your teen to try new pursuits and activities. It's the easiest way for teens to discover their strengths. https://tpitip.com/?32iJ18889

Resolve to help your teen have a great school year Does the start of school seem like the "real" start to the year? Then make some New Year's resolutions! To help your teen's school year go more smoothly, resolve to: Meet with your teen's teachers before the end of the first marking period. Check with the counselor to make sure your student is on track to graduate and meet college admissions requirements. And whenever you can, attend school events that involve your teen. https://tpitip.com/?32iE18889

Daydream with your teen about the future Too many parent-teen conversations sound like business operations. Who needs to be where and at what time? Balance the business by occasionally engaging in a little daydreaming talk. Bring out hopes, dreams and ideas, and you'll build your teen's creativity and thinking skills. To get started, suggest a place you'd both love to visit and compare your reasons why. https://tpitip.com/?32hV18889

Time with you supports your teen's learning Most parents of babies play with their children every day. But the older kids get, the less time their parents spend relaxing and playing with them. One of the most important ways you can support your teen's learning is by spending time together. Find an hour this week when you and your teen can be together. Turn off your devices and play a game or get some exercise. If you can get outdoors, even better! https://tpitip.com/?32hT18889

Encourage your teen to put opinions in writing Many teens are interested in solving problems and improving situations in the world around them. Whether the cause is the environment or money for a new school building, getting involved is a good opportunity for learning. When your teen shows enthusiasm for a cause, suggest writing a letter to the editor of a local newspaper. Your teen will get an outlet for self expression and practice organizing thoughts in writing. https://tpitip.com/?32hS18889

Suggest questions that lead to good decisions If your teen wants help making a decision, offer questions rather than answers. Encourage your teen to ask: Which choice would I be most proud of? What choice would a person I look up to make? How far into the future will each choice affect me? If others are involved, am I treating them the way I want to be treated? What will the results of each choice be? How will I deal with those consequences? https://tpitip.com/?32hR18889

Challenge your children to resolve sibling conflicts Do your kids fight often? Getting along with others and treating them respectfully is an important factor in school success. But learning to do that starts at home. To encourage this, explain to your children that you won't resolve minor conflicts for them. They must try to work together. Have them list and discuss issues that usually cause disagreements, and focus on solutions rather than blame. https://tpitip.com/?32hQ18889

Build your teen's enthusiasm for reading By now, your teen is probably a competent reader. But students do better in school if they are enthusiastic readers, too. Encourage your teen to read for pleasure. Refresh the selection at home by bringing home a variety of reading materials from the library. You can also clip or print news articles about topics that might interest your teen and leave them in eye-catching places. https://tpitip.com/?32hP18889

Watch out for extracurricular overload A whole new world of activities opens up once a child reaches the teen years. And many teens dive right in. Activities build friendships, teach respect and can be an important part of a college application. But it's possible to overdo a good thing. As the new school year approaches, remember that if your teen has no downtime or is too tired to crack a book, it's time to cut back on non-academic activities. https://tpitip.com/?32hO18889

Provide practice to improve social skills Social skills can affect teens' success and happiness in school. But some teens aren't sure how to make and keep friends. If your teen isn't socially adept, don't force attendance at parties and big social events. Instead, help your teen connect with a few friends at a time. In addition, help your teen tune in to non-verbal messages. In a public place, for example, notice nearby people and talk with your teen about how they might be feeling based on their body language. https://tpitip.com/?32hL18889

Teach your teen two criteria for wise decisions From courses to colleges, the choices teens make can affect their future. Teach your teen to make decisions that are both conscious and informed. Conscious choices are the result of thought. Teens who make them recognize that choices can have positive and negative consequences. Informed choices are based on research and answers to questions like: What options are available? What could their results be? https://tpitip.com/?32hI18889

Help your teen steer clear of negative peer pressure Teens have a strong need to fit in. This means they may engage in risky behavior because "everyone else is doing it." To help your teen resist negative peer pressure, discuss your values and expectations. Get to know your teen's friends and their families. And while you can't fully control who your teen hangs out with, encourage involvement in positive groups, such as school clubs and volunteer groups. https://tpitip.com/?32hG18889

Trial runs prepare your teen for new challenges In the teen years, students do a lot of things for the first time, like driving to school or interviewing for a job. Boost your teen's self-confidence when facing these firsts by encouraging a trial run. For example, think of questions an interviewer might ask. Then role-play with your teen. If it isn't possible to do a practice run, talk your teen through the experience. Your student will have a clearer picture the steps to take, and that inspires confidence. https://tpitip.com/?32hD18889

Give your teen some assignments at home Teens learn a lot from doing chores, like responsibility, self-care and helpfulness. It's reasonable to expect teens to be responsible for getting themselves up, preparing their lunch, washing and drying their clothes, changing their sheets and managing their money. It's also reasonable to ask your teen to contribute to your family's wellbeing by doing tasks such as babysitting, washing dishes and working with you on projects around the house. https://tpitip.com/?32hB18889

Decoding skills are key to reading new words Before children can learn to read, they must learn the sounds letters make. Then they can begin to decode, or figure out, written words by sounding out each of the letters. To help your child practice decoding, point to a new word. Touch each letter from left to right, saying its sound. Then blend all the sounds together to pronounce the word. Make a game of decoding words together all around the house! https://tpitip.com/?12hA18889

Sharing family history reinforces connections Few things build family unity like remembering shared experiences. Ask your teen to keep a family journal. Provide a binder and encourage family members to share stories and photos of special times spent together with your teen. Then pull it out from time to time to look through it together and reminisce. Your teen may also enjoy making a time capsule of your family's current interests to rediscover in the future. https://tpitip.com/?32fT18889