Why a bad grade never teaches a child anything. Should a child be punished for bad grades?

For many parents, the child’s academic performance comes second to his health. And when an unpleasant situation arises - a child brings bad grades, parents begin to panic, but do not know how to deal with the impending threat. They often use lengthy conversations or threaten with something (deprivation of pocket money, various types of punishment).

But in 1st grade, the child simply does not realize the extent of the problem and threats from parents.
In order to deal with bad grades, you need to find out the reason, and then think through methods.

Some of the most common reasons for poor school performance.

Only after you have carefully studied the situation can you even think about overcoming the problems. Remember that if you haven’t found out the reason, you shouldn’t act out of the blue - this can aggravate the situation and categorically set the child against school and knowledge.

Actions you can take to improve your academic performance.

It doesn’t matter what grade your child is in: 1st or 11th, if he feels your support and sees your desire to help him, then you will get out of the impasse together.

In order to help with your studies correctly, you need to act according to this plan.

• Finding contact with a child. First you need to find out what the child wants - you need to find out his interests and desires, accept his fears and help him overcome them. You need to find something in common with him so that you have common ideas.
• You need to show that you love him regardless of grades. There is no need to scold him again for no reason, compare him with someone, or offend him.
• Don't value the assessment, value his perseverance and desire. There is no need to play sales games: “You show me an excellent grade, and I give you money.”
• Good example. Remember yourself at his age: did you behave ideally? It’s better to share with your child that you, too, once upon a time solved such problems and they didn’t even work out for you, but because you worked hard, everything worked out.
• The right motivation. The most difficult thing is to correctly tell the child for whom and what he is studying. It is necessary to give examples of successful people who have reached heights thanks to their studies.
• Don't complain about your child's performance. You will not achieve the desired result if you tell all your neighbors about your son who is a poor student. Perhaps you will do even worse by labeling him a stupid slacker.

Faced with the fact that their beloved child begins to regularly carry “twos” and “threes,” few adults really think about how to correct the situation. The only right decision, as most parents believe, lies on the surface: scold, and that’s all! Look, next time he will be more diligent. Unfortunately, this approach often leads to the exact opposite result: a child who was scolded at all costs for an accidental “D” does not begin to study better, but, on the contrary, completely neglects his studies, and sometimes can even become aggressive. Parents, sincerely perplexed, often begin to put even more pressure on their offspring - needless to say, this only aggravates the situation?

On the other hand, it’s also impossible to completely ignore a child’s bad grades - a relaxed child will realize in the blink of an eye that the parents have given up. Subsequently, it is very difficult to “retrain” such a child: if you did not pay attention to your student’s diary for several years, but after some time you began to demand good grades from him, it will not be possible to force a child who is accustomed to “forgetting” to study. We did a little research and found out why you should never scold a child for bad grades. You can find out the reasons by reading our article.

Reason one: grades do not characterize a person

The grades your child receives can tell a lot of things, but not the kind of person he really is. Characterizing a person by paying attention only to his grades is very stupid, but, unfortunately, this is exactly what most parents “suffer” from: in an attempt to reason with their child, they begin to compare his successes with the achievements of some excellent student. Such a comparison makes the child feel bad (since he cannot achieve the same thing that the hypothetical Vasya Ivanov achieved) and devalues ​​his own successes. You should never scold your child just because he received what you think is an inappropriate grade, also for the reason that the grade may not reflect real knowledge: there are often cases, for example, when a teacher deliberately underestimates the grades of children whose parents did not hand over money on time (or did not hand over at all, although this is not necessary) for classroom needs. Unfortunately, most schools are still very, very far from objectively assessing the abilities of each child, and therefore you should not get hung up on grades: in most cases, they still do not reflect reality.

Reason two: your child may think that you are only interested in grades

If you scold your child for not giving a very good grade, or, on the contrary, praise your child for a high result noted in the diary, there is a risk that the child will think that you are only interested in school success. Every child wants to be loved, no matter what progress he makes at school. By scolding your child for bad grades, you can, of course, ensure that he becomes a better student. However, you run the risk of provoking in your child the development of so-called childhood perfectionism, or excellent student syndrome: it will be quite difficult to get rid of it later.

Reason three: scolding your child for bad grades, you kill the motivation to study better

For some reason, many parents think that the fear that a child experiences, afraid of getting a bad grade, is an excellent motivation that makes him study better. Maybe in some cases such “motivation” will work, and for some time you will even be able to observe a series of A’s and B’s in your student’s diary. Fortunately or unfortunately, in most cases, parents’ threats do not lead to anything good: it will not be possible to force a child to study better just by scolding him for bad grades. Alas, most likely you will have to observe an outcome completely different from what you expected: the child will simply lose the remnants of motivation that could encourage him to study better. Punishment in this case becomes meaningless, useless and even harmful: you not only did not achieve what you wanted, but also worsened an already deplorable situation.

It’s a rare teacher in a rare school who tries to structure a lesson in such a way that the children find it interesting: so that they don’t want to be distracted, whisper, but want to learn something. Most are trying to cope with forgetfulness, sloppiness (as it may seem at first glance) and the desire to turn around in twos. Literature teacher Tatyana Kokuseva explains why lowering grades for corrections, a notebook forgotten at home, or excessive activity is stupid and, most importantly, useless.

For those preparing for the main school exam

School is not just about education, test scores, and college preparation. School is, after all, eleven years of a child’s life. Here he learns to live in the society of people, to defend his point of view or come to compromises, to prove that he is right. Here he must receive motivation, a desire to know and seek knowledge. And in the end, by the end of the eleventh grade, decide on the choice of profession. This is how it should be in that ideal world that does not exist.

In fact, many children are afraid of teachers in the lower grades, in the middle grades they don’t want to study, and in the older grades they push school into the far corner. Parents are looking for tutors in horror and do not understand what is happening: the child stubbornly does not want to, the child does not try at all, he has no interest at all. Their intelligent and smart baby assesses himself as incapable of learning and prefers to do anything but homework. And the point is not at all that he is lazy.

When a child joins a school group, he is faced with many rules. These rules in the form of prohibitions, assessments and requirements resemble chaotically and absurdly placed flags that cannot be crossed. From the first days, first-graders know that they need to sit upright, without moving or making sounds if possible. Homework must be completed regularly and accurately every day. “The sticks must be perpendicular,” as the hero of “Two Captains” said. In the first grade, the first motivational marks for perpendicular sticks appear. This means that for clumsy handwriting, crossed-out marks and fingerprints smeared with ink, the grade in the notebook is reduced.

From the point of view of Russian pedagogy, a child, having received a grade a point or two lower, will certainly try to write better next time

And then even better. And so on until the well-deserved “five”. However, something in this regard does not work. Children in the first grade do not yet know how to write beautifully. For most first-graders, writing is an uphill battle of bending, pressing, squiggles, and flowing tails. The words play leapfrog over the lines in the notebook, the letters differ from each other in width and size. The handwriting of a person who has recently learned to write is far from perfect and requires enormous concentration. Hence the dirt, the strikeouts, and the letters turned in the wrong direction. The finger is pressed into the handle with such force that even many years after leaving school, the callus reminds of torment.

And now the text is defeated. The student proudly gives the notebook to the teacher. And in response he receives a “C” and a stern remark in the margin “try hard!” Then again and again. At what point will a child give up on the pointless struggle with his own handwriting and resign himself to an eternal C? In addition, handwriting depends not only on effort. Mild neurological disorders, psychological pressures and stress also affect handwriting. Psychologists often write that children in a big city experience constant stress from the frantic pace of life, while school itself is a separate test. As a result, it turns out that when assessing a child’s handwriting in the first years of school, the teacher essentially evaluates the psychological state and natural abilities, and not the efforts of each individual student.

Other grades for poor handwriting are added, designed to teach the child composure and seriousness. A friend of mine receives a call from her sobbing fifth-grader daughter in the middle of the workday. Having difficulty breaking through her sobs, the mother learns that her daughter received a bad grade for a notebook forgotten at home. Literally the day before the incident, the girl set herself a goal - to finish the quarter with straight A's. A noble task was shattered by forgetfulness. The indignant mother called the teacher and heard in response that next time she would carefully prepare for school. And at the same time I found out that, of course, they didn’t give me a bad mark in the magazine, so there’s no need to worry, nothing will spoil the overall picture of the grades.

A logical question arises - why is this Schrödinger two needed, if it doesn’t exist?

It turns out that after the mother’s explanations, the child should already understand in the fifth grade that for some reason adults are performing ostentatious performances under the guise of acts of intimidation. And that it doesn't really mean anything at all. The conclusion is simple - spit and not pay attention. The teacher does not benefit from such an attitude.

Concerned parents bring their middle school students to tutors. The diagnosis is a lot of mistakes in dictations, constant grades of three and two. I look at the dictation. The total number of errors counted by the teacher is nine. Rating: two. I carefully examine the dictation and find out that in reality there are only four grammatical errors. The rest - I wrote it wrong, thought about it, corrected it. The correction is counted as an error. But he corrected it himself, remembered the rule, it seems commendable. It turns out that this does not matter for the assessment.

Teachers give reasons - in exams, any blot is counted as a mistake. It turns out that already in the fifth or sixth grade, a student should think about the exam and be afraid, just in case. You never know. I’ll grow up, the fifth-grader probably thinks, I’ll go take the Unified State Exam, but I’ll make a mistake, I’ll cross out the mistake, and they’ll lower my score, I won’t go to college!

The training takes place under the slogan “pave your way to neurosis in advance”

Let's not forget about ratings for behavior. Talked in class - bad mark. Ran around school - bad mark. He picked his nose, he counted the raven, he wrote notes, he flew wrong, he whistled wrong. Everything is taken into account and evaluated. Previously, behavior was officially classified as satisfactory or unsatisfactory. Why this was necessary is unknown. I don’t remember a single inveterate hooligan who would come out with a bad behavior on his certificate. Grades for behavior did not stop anyone from behaving as they wanted, except that they spoiled the parents’ nerves a little.

Russian schools have not yet dealt with the behavior of students. How to intimidate these little rascals to such an extent that they do not interfere with the teacher's speech? Conducting lessons in a way that is interesting, constantly keeping restless children's brains occupied with activities - this option is considered only occasionally, in individual schools and by individual teachers. Usually, especially active people are graded for energy directed in the wrong direction. And this rating is not five. I remember how in the late eighties our restless class was expelled from the pioneers almost in its entirety. For behavior. At first they only frightened us, and then they assembled a school-wide lineup and selected ties. Brought up by the Soviet school, our teachers did not take into account one thing - we were already post-perestroika children and we didn’t care. What should have been a terrible humiliation became a funny event, nothing more. The same way today's children are affected by behavior grades - no way.

The debate between teachers and parents on the topic of motivational assessments is eternal. Teachers believe that work design, handwriting and attentiveness should be assessed, because both the exam result and skills in working with texts and documents in adult life depend on this. Parents say that their children have assigned themselves the label of eternal C student and do not want to try. Surprisingly, both are right, but the matter is not moving forward.

The school, like a petrified mammoth, changes slowly and holds on tightly to its methods.

But if you think about it, what will happen if you don’t give a bad grade for a forgotten notebook, shift, or physical education uniform? So what? Will the earth fly into the celestial axis, or maybe everyone will immediately begin to forget their notebooks, forms and shifts? I think that all teachers understand perfectly well that nothing will happen if today a student writes work on a piece of paper and then carefully pastes it into a notebook. This can be agreed upon in clear terms. Maybe, instead of grading behavior, think about what is wrong with a particular child. Find him an additional one or remove the extra load, talk to his parents, take him to a school psychologist.

These are not universal rules, but something will suit each specific case. As for grades for handwriting and design of work, in my opinion, it is high time to separate form and content. The child will clearly understand what he needs to work on, where to improve his skills, and not be upset by yet another C for a correctly solved but poorly executed task. It is unknown why the school stubbornly refuses to understand that praise is a better motivator than an angry shout. Especially when it comes to children who do not yet have confidence in their abilities. If they are constantly pushed, prodded, and underestimated, they will grow into insecure adults.

Should you punish your child for bad grades at school? Is it necessary to deprive a child of a phone because of an unsatisfactory grade in mathematics?

Today the child returned from school in a bad mood. He threw his briefcase into the corner, casually threw his jacket on the chair, frowned and thought about something. The mother begins to excitedly ask what happened, to which the child offendedly takes out a diary from his briefcase, shows a bad grade in math and chokes on tears.

Such a violent reaction to a bad assessment is no longer as common as before. Often, children don’t care what they get: a D or an A. They understand that for a bad grade at school they will not get anything at home, so their level of success at school inexorably falls.

Should punishment be abandoned?

The current education system at school and at home gravitates towards democratic values: freedom of expression in school, respect for the child as an individual, some indulgence in his whims, non-acceptance of punishment as an educational measure. But is it necessary to abandon punishment? Won't parents who have completely switched to a democratic style of education raise willful and indifferent children, who will then not care where they live and work?

It should be noted right away that there can be no talk of any physical punishment. Children are not toys, they feel pain and suffering. Someone may say that his father was responsible for his bad grades, and his grandfather also beat his father in childhood. But is this normal? In a child, this only causes hatred towards his parent, and not respect and reverence. But if everything is clear with physical punishment, then is it necessary to punish for bad grades at all? Most likely it is necessary.

Assessment is an indicator of a child’s success

This is not always an objective measure, but it still shows whether the student has mastered the school curriculum or not. A parent should be interested in the successful education of their child. He should not leave the child’s education to chance.

With the help of assessment, the teacher regulates the student’s behavior. Most often, children receive unsatisfactory grades precisely because of their bad behavior. I was talking to my neighbor at my desk - I didn’t understand the grammar rule, I was spinning and turning - I couldn’t hear my homework. And there are many such examples. Assessment is a lever for managing student behavior. But if parents do not punish for grades, then the teacher simply loses this leverage, because the child doesn’t care whether they give him a bad mark or not, he continues to play around and disturb his classmates.

- like wages. If an employee does not work well, he receives a reprimand. So why shouldn’t a poor student be punished for poor performance? Not paying attention to bad grades, parents develop a harmful stereotype in their child: you don’t have to work, but still get everything you want. Such a belief will have a very painful impact on his future work activity and life in society.

Yes, you need to punish for bad grades. But one important question remains: the notorious word “punish”. The imagination immediately pictures a poor child, put on a hunger strike and forever locked in her room. It is better to say not “punish”, but “react”. Respond to bad grades, respond to poor performance in class, respond to infractions of discipline. How should you react correctly to failure?

How to react to failure?

1. As has already been said, little can be achieved by physical torture. Parents should take measures that would indicate that a bad grade is really bad. For example, reduce computer or phone use until the score is corrected. At first, a stream of tears and pleas will be shed on the poor parent, but it is necessary to show firmness, otherwise the child will get into the habit of shedding tears whenever he is dissatisfied.

2. Children of primary school age are very dependent on their environment. Parents can take advantage of this and give their child an example of a more successful classmate. But this should not be in the form of humiliation: “Look how great he is, and what a nonentity you are!” such a formulation will cause negativism and rejection. Parents simply need to shift the child’s focus to study, and not to entertainment, to set an example, and not to poke their nose.

3. Why do adults go to work? To get paid. Why do children go to school? To get an estimate. This scheme absolutely does not cover the entire importance of education, but the child must clearly understand it. He won't get what he wants just like that. To achieve your goal you need to work hard, get good grades at school and not violate discipline. A parent may promise to buy a new console, but in return he has every right to demand good grades for the quarter. In short, the child should have a clear idea of ​​why he is receiving grades.

4. There is never a need to descend to primitive humiliations. Try to figure out logarithms and complex sentences yourself, then you will understand how easy it is to earn an A. Only those who cannot “help” in any other way can humiliate and insult. Perhaps the child has fallen behind and, due to the busy school curriculum, is unable to cover the missed material on his own. Parents should always be interested in homework, help their child, and not expect him to learn mathematics and Russian on his own.

You need to respond to grades, otherwise the child will lose any incentive to attend school. Democracy is democracy, but academic performance cannot be left to chance, because this can instill in a child the wrong life values ​​and attitude towards life.

Sometimes your parents may seem like your enemies, but in reality they are your best friends. If you are afraid to tell them about your bad grade, remember that they will only be upset or angry for a short time and only because they care about you and want you to do well. Tell your parents honestly about the bad grade - this way you will soften the consequences of such a conversation.

Steps

Part 1

Review your report card. By looking at your report card, you can determine in which subjects you have excellent performance. Additionally, you can see which items need tightening. If you don't understand something or don't agree with something, talk to your teacher. You will need to talk to your parents about your grades, so you need to understand what's what.

Think about why you get bad grades. Write down all the possible reasons why you've been getting bad grades lately. The first thing your parents will want to know is the reasons why you got bad grades. Be prepared to explain these reasons to them. Do not lie. Below you will find possible reasons for poor performance:

Talk to the teacher. If you know you will have a low grade this quarter or semester, talk to your teacher about how you can improve your grade. Honestly tell your teacher the reasons for your failure.

• Ask if you can get extra credit by completing an assignment.
• Find out what your teacher thinks about your performance. Teachers have a lot of experience working with struggling students, and they can tell you reasons for your underachievement that you didn't even know about.
• Ask for advice on how to best study and master the subject material.

1. Create a plan to improve your performance. Use all the information you have gained from reviewing your report card yourself, as well as your teacher's advice. Thanks to this, your academic performance will improve significantly in the next semester. When you talk to your parents, show them your plan. This will show that you acknowledge the mistakes you made and are ready to take action to correct them. Your parents will see that you act like an adult who sees your mistakes and is willing to do whatever it takes to correct them. This will make parents more willing to believe your promise to improve their performance. Here are some ways to improve your grades:

   Create your daily routine. Everyone is different, so it's important to create a schedule that you feel comfortable following. Write a schedule that includes time for homework and rest. You can immediately start doing your homework after school, or relax for a couple of hours and then do your homework. Choose what suits you.

   • Start your homework at the same time every day. If you learn to follow a set schedule, your academic performance will improve significantly.

2. Set realistic goals for yourself. Think about why good grades are important to you. What do you want to do in the future? Many students want to get additional education and get a good job. Have you already decided where you will study after graduation? If you already know what you want to become, you can focus on studying the subjects you will need to know in the future. Find out what requirements apply to entering the educational institution. In addition, find out which GPA is considered most preferable for admission.

   Part 2

   Conversation with parents

   1. Don't try to hide your report card from your parents. Although you may be tempted to do so, resist the temptation. If you try to hide grades from your parents, you will show your immaturity. However, if you are willing to tell them honestly about your successes and failures, you will show yourself as a responsible person. In addition, if your parents find out that you tried to keep the truth from them, they may be very angry, which is unlikely to make you happy.

      Talk to both parents at the same time. Even if you have a trusting relationship with one of the parents, you should talk to both dad and mom at once. This will show that you are ready to admit your mistakes and discuss them with your parents. Thanks to this, you will be able to gain the respect of your parents.

      • Tell your parents you have bad grades before you show your notebook or report card. It's better to hear bad news than to see it on paper. The parents' reaction will not be so harsh.

   2. Explain the reasons for your poor performance. Parents need to know why you think you got bad grades. This will show that you are open to dialogue with parents. Talk about your strengths and weaknesses. Show the list of reasons you have compiled and discuss it with your parents. Be honest with your parents.

      Show your parents your action plan for correcting bad grades. Tell your parents what you plan to do to improve your grades. Explain to them every action you take and why it should bring results. Show your plan in writing so parents can see what you are willing to do to improve your grades. Ask your parents for advice on what other activities could be added to this list.

      Find out what grades your parents consider bad. You must clearly understand which ratings for parents are bad and which are good. This way you will know what they expect from you.

      Focus on the positive. When talking with parents, mention the positive aspects of the report card. Even if you have more than just good grades on your report card, draw your parents' attention to the positive side of your academic performance. Sometimes this is difficult to do, but try to focus on your achievements. You can point out to them good behavior or perfect school attendance.

      • Bring parents' attention to even minor improvements. Have you managed to improve your grade in any subject? Have you maintained a satisfactory level in the exact sciences for a long time?
      • Don't let bad grades overshadow your hard work. Of course, there are good grades on your report card that parents should pay close attention to. Also think about bad grades. Parents don't like your history grade? What was your grade in this subject last year? You may have improved your grades this year. If so, tell your parents about it. Also, promise them that you will do whatever it takes to improve their grades!

   3. Don't think that your parents will be very angry with you. Your parents were children too, so they are unlikely to be too harsh. Your parents will likely remember getting bad grades, so if this is your first time, ask them to be understanding. Remember, if you speak to them calmly, you will cause less resentment and bring out your best self.

      • Be polite and respectful, even when you're upset. Your parents will likely be angry when they hear about your bad grade, but don't let yourself get angry in return.
      • Be prepared to accept punishment from your parents.

   4. Be optimistic. Bad grades are not the end of the world. Moreover, you can improve your grades. Plus, you already have a plan to solve this problem! Promise your parents and yourself that you will do your best to stick to your plan. Your academic performance should be very important to you.

      • Do not give up! Even if you are very upset, you should not give up. Don't tell your parents: “I can't improve my grades! I am a loser! I am stupid! This is impossible!" It is unlikely that with such thinking you will be able to maintain a positive attitude. If your goal seems unattainable, try breaking it down into smaller ones. Tell yourself: “I will try to write well on the test and improve my grade by at least one point.” Achieving small goals like this will help you improve your academic performance.

   5. Ask parents to talk to other parents or your teacher. You may think that your teacher is the reason for your poor performance. Be honest. Don't blame the teacher without good reason. This will only make the situation worse. However, if you know that other students also do not understand the subject well, or the teacher does not prepare you for independent work and tests in this subject, tell your parents about this.

   6. Ask your parents to help you improve your grades. Tell them honestly that you are having trouble sticking to a daily schedule. Ask your parents to supervise you. Promise your parents that you will not resent them if they monitor the implementation of the plan you have drawn up. In addition, parents can help you in the following ways:

      • Parents can explain complex material to you in easy to understand terms. Sometimes teachers and textbooks present the subject in a way that is difficult to understand. Your parents know you better, so they can explain the material to you more clearly.
      • Parents can help you make flashcards to help you remember the material.
      • Parents can ask you questions about the material you have studied.
      • Parents can check your homework and correct mistakes.
      • Parents may give you extra assignments (outside of school) to help you practice and understand the material better.
      • You must understand that your parents are busy people and they cannot devote much time to your homework. Therefore, be grateful to your parents for any help they give you.

   7. Ask your parents to hire a tutor. A tutor will help you improve your academic performance. However, remember that tutoring services are usually expensive. Don't be upset if your parents can't comply with your request.

      • Your classmate, who has excellent knowledge of the subject in which you have poor grades, can act as a tutor. In this case, you will get the help you need, and your parents will not have to spend a lot of money on a tutor.

   8. Tell your parents about your current grades. If you are honest with your parents about your grades, they won't be surprised by low scores on your report card. Show them your independent work and tests. Ask your parents to review your homework on the weekends. This will allow them to monitor your progress.

      • By completing all your homework on time, it will be easier for you to identify what you do not understand. If you receive a bad grade on a test, discuss with your parents what the root of the problem is and how you can correct the negative grade. This will help you cope with any difficulties you encounter in school.
   • If one parent understands you better, talk to him or her first. Then talk to both parents at the same time.
   • If parents are upset, remain calm. Don't start a fight. This will only make the situation worse.
   • Talk to your parents in a reasonable tone and listen to them. They just want you to do well.
   • Let off some steam. Pound a pillow, ride a bike, play a computer game or listen to music. Avoid quarrels with parents.
   • Be prepared to accept reasonable punishment. This will show that you take the current situation seriously and that this will not happen again.
   • Remember that your parents will always love you for who you are, even if you get a bad grade!
   • Tell your parents that school is difficult and that their support and help can help you improve your grades.
   • Draw their attention to the positive aspects. Promise to correct bad grades.
   • Show your report card to your parents. Your parents will be even angrier if you try to hide your true grades. Therefore, you should not falsify estimates. Let your parents know what you are going to do to improve your grades.
   • You should not say: “My classmates are constantly talking and distracting me.” This will show that you are trying to evade responsibility. Be honest and be willing to take responsibility for your wrong actions.
   • Prepare for the worst case scenario, but at the same time, maintain a positive attitude.
   • Some parents expect a lot from their children. Ask your parents for help if you don't understand something. They will most likely be willing to help you.

   Warnings

   • Show a bad review to your parents when they are in a good mood. Otherwise, they may take their aggression out on you.
   • Don't forge your parents' signatures. The teacher can tell your parents about this.
   • Don't hide your diary or report card. Sooner or later your parents will find out, and this may make them angry.
   • In some cultures, especially Asian countries, you may not be able or even want to follow the steps above. In these countries, parents expect results from their children. Children do their best to meet their parents' demands. Even if you do your best, it will be difficult for parents to understand you if you do not get a positive result.
   • Your idea of ​​what good academic performance looks like may be different from your parents' idea. Even if you managed to improve your grades to the average level, your parents may require you to become an excellent student.
   • Don't be afraid to talk to your parents about bad grades. Parents will probably forget and forgive everything. Don't worry if it takes a long time. Your parents want the best for you.
   • Never deceive your parents. This will only make the situation worse!