As we head toward the home stretch of the 2010 calendar year, it is apparent that it is a very stressful time for many high school seniors. Sure, you have those superstar athletes and Bill Gates-type of students who already got into schools of their dreams, but those are far and few between. The reality is that most kids are still scraping and fighting to get into a school that will give them a good chance of achieving success in their future.
The foundation of relieving students’ stress during this critical time is again on the parents. The parents have to become more of a cheerleader than a critic because it is easy for some kids to quit while under a lot of pressure. Parents have to encourage more than they criticize as it will boost kids’ moral and give the kids a much, and I mean a much, much better chance to succeed.
SAT and ACT tests are important determinants on where the child goes to college. During those critical tests, parents have a big role in helping the kid succeed. Please don’t be one of those parents that says “Oh, it is all on the kid,” you sound like my football coach. Parents have a huge role in whether a kid succeeds or not because a morale boost and just the slightest encouragement can go a long way. Throughout history, we have witnessed the power of motivation and what wonders it can do to people. So during test day, parents need to give as much encouragement as possible and put away your doubts about your child’s maybe doubtful work ethic. You know what they say, “Expect the worst, and hope for the best.” Plus, parents don’t have to give a Barack Obama-type of speech because it sounds good but they won’t understand it, all they need is encouragement.
After your child get the scores, encouragement is always good during those times. If your child did well, give rewards. If not, encourage them to do better next time and help them set goals for next time. But if this was their last test, tell them good job and just take the score for what it’s worth. Understand this, parents, you don’t have to get a great score to get into a college with good academics. Remember always, there is absolutely nothing wrong with looking at things with a positive attitude.