Daughter wants to quit school.?

Question

I have a very bright, beautiful 15 year old daughter who is talking about quitting school at 16. She is very artisitic, a life long dancer and a straight A student. However, we live in a VERY rural area that she can't stand. It is her hope and dream to be done with her GED and two year degree by the age of 19, at which point she wants to move to NYC. Help! What do I say to her?

Answer 1

I had always struggled with school. I was offered an early scholarship at a local university when I was eleven. My parents declined, stating that I needed to stay with my peers. I turned sixteen just before my eleventh year in school. When classes started, I left. I took the G.E.D., I received a perfect score on all sections. I continued on to college. I did take my SAT's. That is important that she does take that along with her G.E.D. Colleges are more impressed in having both sets of scores. Needless to say, my parents were crushed when I left school. I am now in my early 20s, I own an investment firm, and I live well. Had I been held down for a few more years, we may not be having this conversation, I may have done some stupid things, trying to waste time. Try talking to your daughter about setting up a plan. For example, you get to NYC, where are you going to stay, what are you going to do, how are YOU going to support YOURSELF. Take a trip with her to let her explore the reality of her decisions. Not only to NYC, but in life.

Answer 2

My son quit at the beginning of his senior year. He talked about quiting for a couple of years. He thought school was stupid and a waste of time. While I did tell him that I understood how he felt and yes probably most of the things they were teaching him he would never use, you can not get any decent job unless you have at least a HS diploma.

Well he quit anyway and then wanted to take HS online, so I signed him up and paid the fees. That lasted about 2 weeks and then he quit doing the work. He finally got his GED and joined the military. He is now 24 and regrets quiting school. BTW, he is MENSA qualified.

Every state has different laws about when a child can quit school. Find out what age in your state, maybe that will keep her in school. Sometimes a bribe helps. But sometimes there is nothing you can do. Just be her safety net when things go wrong.

Answer 3

First of all, Highschool is not for everyone. You can have a very intelligent person who starts to fail school out of boredom or many other reasons. Are you scared about school or your daughter moving away before YOU think shes ready?

Lets face it, your highschool diploma looks good. You know where it stacks up against someone who has a college degree? No where. If she plans to continue school and can get her GED, move on with her life and plans to get an education than that might be the best choice for her.

Making sure she continues an education is the key factor here. How she does it may effect where she goes and what she does. Forcing her to remain in a school she doesnt want to be in wont help you do anything but aggrivate a situation thats already happening.

Showing her a doctor, a lawyer, etc may show her to stay in school but in all liklihood it wont do anything. She seems to know where she wants to go and what she wants to do. Instead of crashing her because you dont understand why not be the parent and work WITH her so she understands that education is important and that you'll help her as long as she is responsible about her choices.

It would also help you feel better when she leaves to have helped prepare her.

Highschool is important, I dont think people should drop out especially if they dont plan on continuing their education. However in work, and in most places you see HS or GED on same bubble and most places dont even bother to look if you have college degrees on their. They may ask what happened but you didnt give up and drop out, you worked with what was best for you. Narrow views are only going to make the situation worse.

Answer 4

Don't let her! A GED is in no way viewed in the same light as a degree by employers. My sister has been wanting to quit school and get her GED and move on to raising training and breaking her own horses since she was 13. My mom has had the firm policy that that's fine but if she does then she won't see another penny from them. You really have to stand firm on this. She needs to get her high school degree, not a GED. Good luck!!

Answer 5

My daughter has been homeschooling for 2 yrs, now she wants to get her GED at first I was hesitate but she is getting bored she will turn 17 next month Jan 2007 & wants to move on to college, since I received my GED back 20 + yrs ago, I did well at AT&T for a 20 yr. career, then took some college courses since I was laid off on 2001, went on to do some Medical jobs but the Corporate office was still under my skin and last week was hired at USAA Insurance Co. (major co. for insured military members, family and employees), then reading the next answer below from the list of family members they took their GED & moved on to receive college degrees is Awesome. GED's are acceptable by employers and colleges. She will do great.

Answer 6

if she has the opportunity to finish school she should there is lots of kids that cant because of legal status. take her to a hospital tell her to look around let her see the DR'S THE NURSES THAT'S WHAT SHE WILL GAIN WITH A GOOD EDUCATION. IF SHE CANT STAND THE AREA THAT SHE LIVES IN THEN HOW DOES SHE EXPECT FOR THINGS TO BE DIFFERENT IF SHE PLANS OF LEAVING SCHOOL WITHOUT AN EDUCATION SHE WILL FAIL TO SUCCEED AND MOVE OUT OF WERE SHE AT. YOU NEED TO TELL HER THIS WITHOUT AN EDUCATION YOU WILL NOT SAUCEED SHE WILL BE LIVING THERE FOR THE REST OF HER YEARS. THE ONLY WAY OF MOVING UP IN THIS WORLD IS AN EDUCATION WHICH KNOW ONE CAN TAKE AWAY UNLESS YOU DECIDE TO THROW IT AWAY. TELL HER TO GO TO THE RESTAURANTS WHAT DOES SHE SEE WHAT KIND OF PEOPLE ARE SWEEPING WASHING DISHES NOT THAT THERE BAD PEOPLE BUT MOST OF THEM ARE PEOPLE WITHOUT AN EDUCATION AND I'M SURE THEY WISH THEY HAD THE OPPORTUNITY THAT SHE HAS AND IS THROWING IT AWAY. IN ORDER TO GET SOMEWHERE IN THIS LIFE ITS A STRUGGLE IT DOESN'T COME EASY BUT IT WILL PAY OFF IF THE AREA THAT SHE LIVES IN ITS NOT TO HER LIKING THEN SHE MUST FINISH SCHOOL AND PURSUE A COLLEGE EDUCATION NOW A DAYS 2YRS IS NOTHING SOME PEOPLE HAVE TO GO FOR TWO YEARS AND TURN AROUND GO BACK FOR 4 MORE YEARS(BACHELOR DEGREE MASTERS) ETC. GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 7

Sounds like a great idea to me! Get her GED and associate degree by age 19? Super! Encourage your daughter! She is BORED in school. I left at age 15, started college at age 16, finished my Bachelor's at age 20. Worked great for me! My nephew finished his BS degree at age 19, and his Masters at age 20, with a 4.0 GPA! My neice finished her BS at age 17! No one could legally hire her full time, so she HAD to go on to her Masters, the youngest ever at her University, AND with a 4.0 GPA. Super! All of us are doing great! Support your daughter's educational advances!

Answer 8

There is a way she can have what she wants and what you want her to have. Talk to her school counslors about taking core classes in the summer as well as less electives and all the core classes at once. This way she gets a high school diploma instead of a GED.

Answer 9

Traditional school is no longer meeting your daughters needs, she has a plan to continue her education and it seems pretty solid. Support her and help her achieve HER goals. Alternative is she remains unhappy fails to get her diploma or drops out altogether and does not pursue further education. Even if forced to go to school at 17 she'd be able to move out and quit on her own and she may fail courses on purpose. My own daughter when forced to go would not do any assignments and would write her name on tests then turn them in blank,

Answer 10

Tell her that she is still a child and under your care, and that she will not quite school, we as your parents won't let you. Since she is a minor she must still obey you. Use your parental authority, a 15 year old is not mature enough to make this decision.

Good Luck