Keeping Kids Focused
Originally Published March 2014
Spring has officially arrived; spring break has come and gone, and you may already be planning graduation parties and summer vacations. What does all this mean for students? They are starting the countdown to summer. But we have eleven weeks of school to go! So how do you keep your kids focused for a strong finish? What do you do about the dreaded “senioritis” that strikes this time of year? While I don’t have all the answers, I would like to provide a few tips for keeping the kids focused this spring.
First, don’t stop routines before school is out. If you pack lunches at night, check bookbags on Fridays, or plan the week’s activities on Sunday evening, keep at it. When we keep routines in place, we are modeling what we want our kids to do. Children look to us for clues as to how they are to behave, so keeping focused on routines at home, helps to keep the kiddos focused at school. I realize that the start of spring sports can necessitate some change in routines, but approach those changes proactively so that you keep a routine even if it is altered.
More hours of daylight cause our younger students to want more time outdoors, and that is good. It can make our teens feel like they have more time to hang out with friends or go out on weeknights. Again, not a bad thing. But it is important to keep time for homework in place. Like routines, it might change a bit. If the plan in the winter was homework right after school and then time for television or games after, you might change it to play outside when you get home, and then homework after dinner. The key is to have a plan.
Keep the lines of communication open. Check on grades and work completion. If you have teens, have them provide a weekly or bi-weekly grade report to you. You want to catch any slip ups early, so that they don’t become landslides in May. More daylight and warmer temperatures allow for more family outdoor time. So take advantage of an evening walk or bike ride to have some of these conversations.
What if you have a senior? I do. I had one last year too, so this is my second go with the dreaded “Senioritis!” Ask any teacher of seniors and you will find that it is a very real condition albeit one that does not affect all seniors the same way. It is not uncommon to hear statements such as, “I have already been accepted at my college.” Or “I had a great first semester; it’s ok if my grades slip some this semester.” Certainly we should have been giving our seniors more independence all year. But if you read my last blog you know that dreaded frontal lobe is still not fully developed, so your senior still needs some reminders. Again, keep up with grades by asking how things are going. Set expectations for performance this last part of the year. Graduation parties and gifts can be dependent upon meeting expectations. But also, remind your senior that finishing strong is a springboard for their next step. You want them to feel a sense of accomplishment and the knowledge that they are ready for the next chapter of their lives.
Good luck these next eleven weeks. There is still much to learn, and we appreciate your partnership in keeping the kids focused.
