internet copyright

If the school’s consequences for problems are effective, there is no need to 
further punish children at home. That would be “double jeopardy.” However, 
there are times when parents need to take action.

BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS

When students have persistent difficulties, they may have attention-deficit 
hyperactivity disorder, or they may have lost or never had a bond with a 
significant caretaker. Older children who show sudden changes in behavior 
may have been traumatized or become involved in substance abuse. In 
addition to seeking evaluations for such problems, parents can:

• Require daily school reports to stay in close contact with teachers.

• Offer rewards on days when students bring home a good report.

• Withhold privileges (TV, video games, etc.) until an acceptable report 
  is brought home.

• Take away important privileges while students are serving out-of-
  school suspensions.

• Write essays about what can be done to prevent further suspensions.

• Investigate medication or herbs for children who may be hyperactive.

HOMEWORK AND POOR GRADES

Ask the school to have children tested for learning disabilities or attention 
disorders if academic problems have been present since the third grade or 
earlier. You may need to be persistent. Employ any of the strategies below 
that are helpful:

• After eating a snack, children should finish homework before 
  watching TV or playing.

• Require a study hour until grades improve. If children deny having 
  homework, supply your own. Although you can make children sit with 
  books, you cannot make them study.

• Require children to bring home a satisfactory daily or weekly school 
  report to have evening or weekend privileges. Parents can consider 
  shortening restrictions if children are responsible enough to bring 
  home a report.

• Arrange rewards for good school reports if this motivates students.

• When parents are engaged in many other power struggles with 
  children, it may be best for young people to experience the natural 
  consequences of failure until other issues improve.

SKIPPING CLASSES AND TRUANCY

Teens who miss school may be experiencing peer pressure or developing 
serious conduct problems. However, anxiety due to panic or fears of looking 
foolish can require therapy. It is common for children to have “school 
phobia” in fifth through seventh grades due to the transition to larger 
schools. Allowing children to avoid school can aggravate problems, so take 
immediate action to get them back on track:

• Verify attendance and withhold privileges unless children have been 
  in school all day.

• In serious cases, accompany students to school and escort them 
  between classes.

• If children refuse to go to school, physically carry them and enlist the 
  aid of other adults if needed.

• Do not allow children to stay or come home early unless they have a 
  temperature.

SCHOOL REPORTS

Many schools have their own form to communicate with parents when 
students are having academic or behavioral problems. If none are 
available, parents can use the generic forms below. Minimum standards 
can be set for students to gain rewards or to have evening and weekend 
privileges:

• Rewards: Stickers, special snack, prize from a grab bag, purchase 
  points, money.

• Privileges: Television, video games, telephone use, visiting with 
  friends, leaving the house, stereo, CD or cassettes, computer use, 
  snacks.

Reference

Miracle Cures by Jean Carper (HarperCollins, 1997), pp. 233–234, 
suggests that oligomeric procyanidins (OPCs) in the herbs pycnogenol and 
grape seeds may regulate enzymes that control dopamine and 
norepinephrine.