What is the best way to motivate my son to get his grades up?

Answer 1

Is it a good idea to give cash in exchange for good grades? That is something each family must discuss and decide. Evaluate your teen's grades. If the grades are good, continue with the plan you are using. If the grades could use some improvement, take the opportunity to discuss the importance of good grades. Explain how good grades will help them children into the college of their choice.

If this does not work, consider a reward system. Ask them what they would like to receive for grades. If money seems to be the best motivator, but you are not comfortable handing over cash for them to "blow," you do have some options that will motivate and educate.

One option is to take the opportunity to teach your teen the value of a dollar. Family Education Network suggest the following tips:

* Once a dollar amount is established, sit down with your teen and establish a money management program or financial plan.
* Begin by designating 35 percent of their "grade money" as free spending money. This would be theirs to do spend as they wish. At least half, in this example 65 percent, must be saved.
* Your teen can open their own savings account, or if you are stock and mutual fund savvy, try to get them investing early and on a regular basis.
* Have your teen give a percentage, 10 percent for example, to charity.

If you are uncomfortable with rewarding good grades, consider other options for helping them achieve academic success. One of the most important things you can do to help your teen succeed in school is to become involved. Consider the following ideas suggested by the American Federation of Teachers:

* Know your child's school family. The teacher is the primary player in your child's school environment, but there are others (such as counselors and librarians) who make a valuable contribution. Attending parent-teacher conferences, open-school nights and other events are the best way to get acquainted with these important people.
* Expect success at school. Children work best when they know what you expect of them. Discuss these expectations with your children -- expectations for good grades, attendance and study habits. Encourage them to take courses that will challenge them, but not overwhelm them. For example, high school students usually can choose from several English courses and several mathematics courses. Discuss these and other course options with your children. Make sure they are choosing courses that will interest and challenge them.
* View unsatisfactory grades as an opportunity. All parents want their children to receive good marks and advance to the next grade, but do not expect a teacher to give your children a grade or honor that they have not deserved. Make it clear to your child that grades are not ''given'' - they are earned. If your child receives an unsatisfactory report card, use this as an opportunity to restate your own commitment to high standards. Discuss with your child (and the teacher) what he or she will need to do differently to improve the grade and advance to the next level.
* Help your child keep pace. Absences, family problems and other distractions make it difficult for a student to keep up with lessons and assignments during the school day. Ask a teacher if your school district offers after-school tutoring, summer programs or other activities that can prevent your child from falling behind.
* Monitor your teen's part-time job. For many teenagers, holding a part-time job is an important rite of passage into adulthood. It teaches students about the working world and how to manage money. But a part-time job can cut into study time and add to the stress of teen years. Grades can fall, and attendance can suffer.

Answer 2

You should first discover why his grades are low. Your childs motivation to do better in school starts with you. You have to get involved with his studies. What works very well is when you help your child with homework, and give praise when he does well. it's a very bad idea to punish the child when he does not understand, or makes errors in his school work. When you show enthusiasim for your childs school work, he will too. Rewards for a job well done can go a long way, even if the reward is just praise for good work. When your child does not do well, or meet with expectaions, encouragment works a lot better then harsh words.

Set realistic goals with your child, so his grades improve over time. If you look for instant results, you'll be dissappointed, and the child will become discouraged.

Be a Mentor, and not a disciplinarian, or act like a teacher. Your child has to trust you, and trust your motifs for wanting him to do better. Taking your child to museums, planetariums, the zoo etc.. will encourge him to want to learn more. When you talk to your child about his schoolwork, you should not come across as being angry, or scolding. This only puts your child on the defencive, and no one will get anywhere.

Grades are not always indicitive of how much your child has learned.

Answer 3

Positive reinforcements. Do not wait till formal grades come through. Keep in contact with his teachers. Catch him doing well soon and often ( even if there is not an immediate grade improvement) When the grades do go up, so do the positive reinforcements. This can be anything from extra priveleges to a small gift etc. Or you can have him work towards a much larger gift. My son was doing poorly but wanted his ear pierced. I told him if he got a B average I would buy him the earring and take him to get it done right. He came through, it took him a semester. Yes he got his ear pierced, but safely and if that was his big rebellion, I got off easy. By the way he went from a 1.25 average in High School to passing with a 3.5 in college in Engineering. He let the piercing close.

Answer 4

First you try to be nice and tell him to think about his future. Does he want things in life. If yes, then education is the key.

If that doesn't work, then all he understands is "the now" and the impact of poor grades in his life. Take things he enjoys away from him as punishment. I'm talking about TV, video games, the movies, (you know better here than me).

He has to understand that he has to make decisions in life and those decisions have consequences. If he makes negative choices then he has to suffer negative consequences. Eventually he'll understand to be happy, he'll need to do better in school. As long as you remain consistent, this will work.

All these other people have good comments that you can use, but bottom line, if he has the ability, then he needs to understand that to be happy (now or in the future) he must do well in school.

Answer 5

Depends how old he is, but I'd guess possibly offering him an incentive such as a new Bike / Games Console / fishing rod / Trip somewhere special would be a good starting point....... perhaps throw in a few off-hand wisecracks about what crappy jobs he could end up doing if he doesn't improve (toilet cleaner's always good one).

Above all, try not to apply too much pressure on him unless absolutely necessary to get him to do homework / studying or whatever......... as I know from having an annoying Dad (he still gets my back up 10yrs after I've got done with going to school / college) that it'll only get him too riled up to be able to concentrate.

You could also perhaps try doing activities together to give him a bit of extra tutoring by stealth by trying to encourage him to use his brain along the way... like, for instance checking & topping up the fluids on the car......... or perhaps sorting through a large amount of small change you've got built-up, so you can bag it up & bank it.

Or maybe find a way to show him how it's possible to make more money if you use your brain more...... like maybe (depending on where you're located) opening an investment of some sort together, like a SHAREBUILDER style stockmarket account at:
http://www.sharebuilder.com (US Original)
http://www.halifax.co.uk/sharebuilder (UK version used under license) for instance.
Then using http://quote.fool.com / http://quote.fool.co.uk / http://finance.yahoo.com to pick stocks together.....but if you do opt for this I recommend a tutorial at both http://www.investopedia.com + http://www.fool.com/school/basics/investingbasics.htm first - perhaps (depending on his age) with the investing aim being for him saving up to buy his first car.

Answer 6

Encourage him to study by finding ways to relate the material to an interest he has. Take various field trips and excursions to fun and interactive places where he will be able to experience knowledge first hand. The best way to inspire somebody to want to learn is to show them how fun and interesting knowledge can be.

Answer 7

I think it's a little young to thrust your son into an organized sport. Finding his interests will take time and just let him be a kid and play games with his friends.

Answer 8

It depends on how old he is.

If he's still a kid tell him if he gets a good report card (lots of As) you'll buy him a new toy or give him extra allowance money.

if he's a teen tell him you'll get him a gift card to the store of his choice. He gets $10 for every A he gets on his report card, $5 for every B, and a 1 for every C.

Answer 9

Offer him something for each level he can raise his grades.

Answer 10

Take him to a local prision and let him meet the inmates. Worked for another kid I knew. And it ALWAYS works on Court T.V. Like Judge Judy, and Judge Alex...etc...lol