Beyond all of this, there are a few more things parents can do to support
their kids during their high school careers.
Encourage your child to join
extracurricular activities. Statistics have proven that participation in
any school activity improves the academic success rate for students. Help
your child find something that interests him or her, but do not force them
to do something they really do not want to do as that will only lead to
frustration or rebellion. If the school doesn’t offer something of
interest, look outside for other types of activities they might like. As
long as they are involved in some activity, they are less likely to get
involved in negative behaviors.
Get to know your child’s friends
and also their parents. Just be aware of who your child is hanging around
with. Know the phone numbers of their closest friends and try to meet or
speak with other parents when the kids are planning parties and activities
so you know what is going on at other homes.
Limit internet and video game
time. Today, teens are very susceptible to becoming immersed or even
addicted to the internet or video games. While it is normal for teens to
spend some time enjoying one or the other, it is not healthy if they are
spending hours on it daily. Monitor and restrict time on the computer or
playing video games.
Continue to set limits. High
school students may look all grown up, but in fact, their brains are still
developing. They are not always capable of making safe decisions, so you
still have to make them for them sometimes. It is still reasonable to
impose curfews and limit where they go and with whom. Be the parent, even
if they think you’re mean, cruel, old-fashioned, unreasonable and crazy.