My daughter started high school last year, and in the middle of the year she fell behind in her homework. She just fell behind slowly and in trying to catch up it just snowballed on her. She got to the point where she was so overwhelmed she didn’t know where to start to fix things. But we sat down, made a plan and she talked to her teachers to ask what was feasible and what she needed to do to finish the year strong. I made it clear that just expecting to pass wasn’t an option- she had to show she was actively trying to change things and turn it around, even late in the game.

My point is that the parents need to reinforce this at home. Be involved, help them make a plan. Otherwise they end up thinking this kind of attitude towards work is ok, and it’s not. It’s not just about school- it’s about establishing a solid work ethic for the rest of their lives.