Bad grades = bad mood? That’s definitely not how it should be! Children should never be afraid to tell their parents about bad grades. The right way to deal with it, however, is very difficult for many parents. On the one hand, you want to make it clear to your child that bad grades are not always acceptable, but on the other hand, you don’t want to hurt them too much and thus destroy the relationship.
It can happen!
Everyone has written a bad grade in school and it can happen! Even in a subject where you were always strong, it can be that on the class work is a bad grade. This can be due to many factors. Maybe your child didn’t understand the subject or was unslept. Also, arguments in the family or among friends, can weaken a child’s performance. If it happens, you should make this clear to your child. Give your child a hug and tell him or her, “This can happen.
Sometimes things just don’t work out
No matter how hard your child tries, sometimes it just doesn’t work out! And that’s perfectly okay. You don’t have to be good in every subject and always get good grades. It may be that your child is just not as strong in some areas as they are in others. The important thing is that you, as a family, do everything you can to curb deficits as much as possible so that your child doesn’t get left behind because of a grade.
What is a bad grade?
A bad grade is always self-defined. For some families, a B is already “bad” if the child has otherwise always been in the A range. It’s best to sit down with your child and define a bad grade – in any subject. After all, even if a B in French is bad because your child is always a straight-A student in languages, you may be happy about a C in math if numbers just aren’t your child’s thing.
Support but don’t overwhelm
You should definitely support your child. Sometimes you need a little push to make an effort. Maybe your child needs tutoring to make up for a deficit. In this case, you can book your child a math tutoring session at Knowunity, for example. However, you should also accept when things just don’t work out the way you would like them to. You should never overtax your child! Overtaxing leads to unwanted pressure, which can lead to mental illness and damage the relationship between you and your child.
Open feelings
Your child and you should always talk openly about feelings about grades. No one should be afraid to speak their mind. If your child is happy about a C in math, be happy with him or her, or you can talk about why that feeling came about. At the same time, if you are disappointed or happy about a grade, you should be open about it. It is important that you always explain and justify your feelings. Only then can your child understand your reactions and you can talk openly about them.