How To Talk About Report Cards With Your Kids

Report cards: something every student – and parent – has to deal with. Talking to your kids about their report cards can be challenging, especially if there are subjects they’re struggling with.

You shouldn’t worry yourself too much over a report card conversation. If you know a few things about how to approach the discussion, and take in a few of our tips for how to navigate the topic, then how to talk about report cards with your kids can be a breeze, no matter what their grades may be.

How Should Parents React To Bad Report Cards?
For a student who’s struggling, a bad report card can be a blow to their self-confidence and self-esteem, so it’s important to really think about your reaction to a bad report card as a parent.

The best thing you can do when your child brings homes a bad report card is to be understanding and try to get to the root of why their grades aren’t so great. Many things can impact a child’s academic performance, from stress, to problems understanding the material, to burnout. Instead of launching into a lecture about it, focus on empathy and understanding.

How To Talk To Your Child About Bad Grades
One of the good things about report cards is that they come out at about the same time every semester or quarter, so you won’t be taken by surprise when they arrive. This allows you to plan the discussion to have with your child ahead of time. Planning ahead means you can think through the important points you want to make and consider how you can put a positive spin on them to make the conversation more productive.

Some tips you can use to prepare for the report card conversation include:

• Thinking of intent – What is the message you want to give your child upfront? Is it simply that you want to discuss their report card, or is it something else?
• Keeping distractions away – Make sure you carve out time to have this conversation when other things aren’t going on. Don’t talk about it in the car on the way home from school, or when they’re getting dressed in the morning. Plan to sit down and have a proper conversation at a time that works for everyone.
• Starting off positive – No matter what their report card says, set the tone by saying something positive to start off. Find one positive thing on their report card and highlight it. This helps your child to relax and will make the conversation overall a less negative experience.
• Talking about their strengths – No matter what their report card says, every child has strengths. Don’t dive straight into the not-so-great stuff – instead, talk about what their strengths are when it comes to learning. Motivating them in the things they're good at will eventually help to motivate them in other areas, too.
• Letting them share – If your child is struggling in school, let them talk about it. This discussion should be a place where they are free to voice their worries and thoughts. It can help to give you more insight into why they may be struggling and how you can help.
• Reframing your criticisms – Have your child talk about the things they don’t like about school, and then help them to reframe those complaints in a more positive way. This can help your child to view things differently and find a solution to the problems they’re experiencing.
• Being optimistic – In the grand scheme of things, a report card doesn’t define who your child is or what they’re good at. If they have academic goals, talk about those and discuss the improvement they can strive for to make their future dreams a reality.

How Can I Help My Child Get Better Grades?
Once you talk it out and gain a better understanding of why your child’s report card may be poor, you can take some steps to help them improve their academic performance. A few things you can do include:

• Reviewing tests and homework together – This may not be something your child looks forward to, but it’s valuable for you both. Talk about the challenges they may have had on the assignment or test and find ways to help address them. Get their teacher involved if you feel you need to.
• Cap screen time – If your child’s grades are suffering, you may want to consider capping screen time. Not all screen time is bad, but if they’re spending hours in front of screens each day, it can have an impact on their sleep and health, which can in turn impact their grades at school. Keep an eye on how much screen time they’re getting and cut back if it’s having a negative impact.
• Work on good study habits – Study habits are important, so help your child to establish good ones at home. Help them to get organized, learn how to manage time, and prioritize tasks they need to accomplish.

How Do You Reward A Child For a Good Report Card?
When your child does improve their report card, it’s time to celebrate! You may want to start each semester with some goals for your child academically and then have them come up with some rewards they want for accomplishing those goals. Maybe they want to have a sleepover with friends, or pick out some new books. Even going out to their favorite restaurant can be a good motivator. Talk it out and let them choose something that excites and motivates them.

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