How do I get my son to care about school?

Question

My son is 8 years old, in second grade, and he does not care about school. I cannot seem to get him to put forth the effort into things! I know he's smart, but he is very very lazy (not just in school, about things at home too). Ive fought with him, taken priveledges away, I reward him when he does a good job, but for some reason, he still does not care. He will make careless mistakes on tests and other things, not put any effort into his writing and penmanship. I feel like Im hitting a brick wall when trying to get him to do his best! He always wants help doing his homework when he doesnt need it (on good days he does it all by himself) but he doesnt want your help, he wants you to tell him the answer and he wont cooperate when you try to help him figure it out. How do I get him to care about his grades and put forth some effort? I know he can do it, I see it once in a great while, but not anywhere near often enough!

Answer 1

tell him a story of how a man ended up being a bum because he didnt care about school so he could not get any job at all

Answer 2

What kinds of extraciricular activities is your son doing? I would reccommend that he join a swim team. He is just the perfect age to start. Swimming can lead your son to reaching for perfection. Also, it sounds like it has gotten out of hand. you need to remove all negative consequenses. If he does poorly on something, ignore it. Say, you are going through the papers he has brought home and see some poor grades: say nothing. Just pass right on by that paper like it wasn't there. Then when you get to a good one, make a huge deal about it. Also, he shouldn't have homework. If he has homework then there is something he is not doing in school. Better ask the teacher what the problem is.

Answer 3

Stop fighting over homework with him. His homework is just that HIS, it is not your responsiblity and he isn't going to learn that fact if you continue to make it your responsiblity. I'm sure that as an adult you went through the second grade already so you don't have to do so again. What is the worst that can happen if he doesn't do his homework? I doubt the world will come to an end, he might have to redo the 2nd grade but then maybe he wasn't ready for it to begin with. In 2nd grade school begins to change subjects get harder and more is expected of children. Maybe your son isn't ready for all of that yet. My daughter failed a grade as well and the world didn't end. She went on to repeat the year passing with flying colors and excelling the years to come. Now, in college for the past two years has carried a 4.0 grade point average the entire two years. I didn't do battle with her over her school work, that was HER responsiblity

Answer 4

show him a bum on the side of the road. then tell him, "son, this man didnt care about school. he didnt graduate high school, and he didnt care. so now, he gets to starve and be miserable. do you want to be headed in this direction?" then if he still doesnt care explain to him, a good education = a good job = happier life. you could go into more details.

then show him a happy, rich man and tell him, "son, this guy cared about school alot. he graduated school and cared very much about it. now look at him, he is happy, healthy, and smart. Do you want to be happy when you grow up?"



your son probably doesnt care cause he doesnt get why school is important. i thnk you should explain it to him.


if all else fails, take away the t.v., phone, computer, video games, everything. if this happens for years and years, just when he starts to wanna go hang out with his friends and stuff, say no, not untill your grades go up.

Answer 5

Smack him silly!! No! Im playing.
Just take every priveledges away.Take snacks,tv everything away.Keep him in his room.Put books in his room so when he gets bored he'll grab one and read it.Tell him why school (learning) is important.Scare him a little.Tell him that when he is older he will live in the streets because he dont have a great education for a job.

Answer 6

Children live by example..he will follow your lead..work with him around the house..help him with chores..do them together..show him good work is omportant..sit down with him at homework time and help him on it..

plan a family trip..if he does well in school he gets to go..if he doesnt then he cant go..My son is 6 and was trying to get lazy in school..I planned a trip to the zoo..set the standards--he met them he was able to go..now I am planning a race trip in May to see the All star race in charlotte..if he does well he gets to go..if not i'll give his ticket away..for srping break he wants to go see his grandma in FL..he knows if he does well i'll be happy to drive him down..if not well he will stay home for spring break.

Show your son the results you want..again kids live and learn by what they see at home..if they see lazy parents they too will be lazy in all aspects of life..if they see fighting--they are on the defensive..if they see warmth and love and hard work then they will follow that.

Good luck

Answer 7

I would drive him to the rich houses and nice cars places or drive him around the neighborhood and say "If you want these fancy cars, nice houses, etc. than you have to keep up your grades or you will be living here" then I would take him to like a bad neighborhood or where you live. Not to be harsh but that will give him a wake up call.

Answer 8

Have you tried bribery, my 7 year old brother was they same way. My mom said if he got an A than he got 5 dollars. Worked like a charm.

Answer 9

Tell him if he doesn't, somebody will kill him. He'll be scared right into straight A's!! It worked on me.

Answer 10

no kid cares about school...deal wit it