Whats the best way for me to stay involved in my childs school activities?
Your young teen needs you in her life more than she may admit (to you or to herself) although she may want you present under different terms and conditions than she did previously. Some parents misread the signals that their children send and back off too soon. For example, for children at age nine, about 75 percent of American parents report high or moderate involvement in school related activities, but when children reach age 14, the rate of parent involvement has dropped to 55 percent. The rate continues to drop throughout high school. Research shows that adolescents do better in school when their parents are involved in their lives and that education works best when teachers and parents work closely with one another. Here are some tips for staying involved in your child’s school life: • Set ground rules for your child at the beginning of the school year. From the first day of school, make certain that your child knows what time he is expected to go to bed and get up, what he needs
