I have umm’d and arr’d about publishing this post but I need help and advice.
My eldest son has never been particularly academic but he is amazing at electronics and art and other such stuff.
Previous reports have said that “he does the bare minimum” work wise and is easily distracted, but we have always managed to drag him through the school year with a good kick up the bum and lots of help with his homework.
If you’ve followed me for a while you will know that he made the decision to move to his Dad’s last year, much to my dismay.
We have very different parenting styles and I don’t doubt Dad has tried his best him but his school work has suffered and quite frankly his report is, well, not good!
He is now entering his final GCSE year and I just don’t know what to do to motivate him. He is quite capable of getting good grades in Maths and other subjects that interest him yet isn’t trying. English needs a lot of work and I know he can do it but he hates it!
The real problem is that he is blaming everyone else and taking no responsibility at all. He is lying to teachers, to his Dad and to me about homework, how he is getting on etc and it really has got to stop.
He has had all luxuries removed, yet it still doesn’t work. He is, to be quite frank, lazy!
He has even mentioned returning home to me, but I know it’s just a ploy as he has been “found out” and thinks it a “Get out of jail free card”
So please help me to help my son! He may never be a genius and I will love him whatever but I really want him to get the best start and get the grades he has the ability to achieve.
I plan to work with him over the summer with revision guides etc, which I know he will hate, but any tips on motivating a teenage boy would be gratefully received!!
Has anything worked for you??
This is callan we are on about mum, I know he is lazy and to be perfectly honest I don’t feel there is anything you can do other that offer him incentives like what I have, give him something to work towards, I think that will help, callans motif is money so offer him what I had and I’m sure he could do it! Don’t worry too much, I’m sure he will be ok xx
It is a really tricky one. I think you need to encourage him to think about the future. School doesn’t suit all kids and can have this effect. Maybe if he focuses in where he wants to go, it will help him to focus and give him motivation to work if he knows that he has to achieve certain grades to get on a specific course or a’levels. You may find that college will be a better environment for him.
He has had good reports back from his work experience so that’s positive, I just worry that they won’t look twice at him if his grades are rubbish!
Hiya 🙂 My Teen has just Finished her GCSE’s, they are not going to be brilliant results, 3 yrs ago something happened and she ended up with depression, her grades dropped but she still had her ‘Dream’, the last 6 months I have been struggling with her and feeling like her dreams were going down the pan, her ‘friends’ changed to those I feel dont have dreams off thier own and would rather sit around all day and do nothing, we have argued, talked and I felt that was it over, she was going to do nothing, She surprised me last week by getting a place at college and the next day the college also phoned to say they had suggested her for an apprenticeship, out of all level 2 and level 3 classes within College(she was level 2) they only suggested 4 students, I was so proud, She was also proud (she smiled :)..), all we can do is advise and hope they take in, I spent so long worrying about her and now I’m hoping she is coming out the other side, with her dreams in tact.
Good Luck, just be there, advise and talk (well say things to him whilst he grunts back).
Angie x
That’s great news for her. Son has realised that the grass isn’t greener on the otherside and is using this as an excuse. He hates rules, does everything in his power to avoid stuff he has been asked to do.
I am also dreading the fact he has to remain in education until he is 18 as its not the right environment for him but am hoping he will get an apprenticeship or something. Trouble is, he is supposed to work for his dad but won’t do the tasks his dad wants him to do – only the “fun” stuff!