The end of the grading period could either be a blessing or a nightmare for students. Parents can be intimidating when it comes to bad grades, so what is the best way to approach them?
It’s hard to deny the uneasy feeling in your stomach when you see an F or a D on your report card and the screaming already lingering in the back of your head. Parents’ reactions are frightful and hard on their kids who are, more likely than not, trying their best to understand and pass their classes.
Sophomore Becca Wolff and junior Mackenzie Kellogg both said that telling their parents is “a nightmare” and “more stressful than it’s worth.” This reaction is not an uncommon one.
According to Mayo Clinic, stress does more to your body than you would ever realize. In fact, it can highly affect your motivation and sleep, which are key parts to not only good grades but an even better education. Thus, worrying about a conversation about grades could affect them even more.
So, take a deep breath and prepare yourselves for the conversation at hand.
Before speaking to parents about grades, there are a few ways you can prepare.
Think about what you’re going to tell them; remember that honesty is the absolute key to bad news. There will be multiple outcomes, some good and some bad. Keep these in mind so you don’t falter if your parents act out of anger.
Make sure your teacher and are on the same page about your grades. Mrs. Turner claims that keeping up with your grades before the grading period is over is the best way to take on responsibility and makes life easier for both parties. Until you know there are ways you can bring the grade up, perhaps pushing off the conversation is necessary.
When the time finally comes, make sure it’s right. Find the absolute best time for you to sit down and have a conversation with your parents who don’t seem to be in the worst mood either. There is a time and a place for everything and make sure it’s the time and place for this dreaded conversation.
Remember to be honest. Tell them not only as soon as possible but don’t sugar coat the truth either; it’ll only cause more problems in the future if they were to find out the whole truth later on.
And finally, if it all goes wrong, just remember to breathe. Your parents, despite their acts of anger, really do care for you and only want you to do your best. You can make it up to them, your teacher, and yourself by working hard and maintaining responsibilities.
Read More From The Bobcat Times!
The Bobcat Times 