Top 10 New Year Resolutions for Parents of High School Students

ByCheree Liebowitz

2017 is coming! One more year closer to your child getting into college and heading off on a brand new adventure. In celebration of the New Year, here are resolutions to help make this time less stressful.

  1. Maintain Balance. Children are a lot less stressed when you nag them about walking the dog then to get a 1600 on their SAT or a 36 on the ACT. College is only one part of your student’s life.  Putting too much pressure on college-related tasks can actually make your child too stressed to succeed.
  2. Listen more. Let your child talk to you, and you just may find an interesting person has emerged with his or her own opinions. Rather than starting with advice, listen to what your child is really saying. Keep asking him or her, “What do you think?” and see how they work out problems for themselves.
  3. Set realistic goals. As much as you wish tutors could take the tests for your kid, they can’t.  If your child’s scores are not high enough and the grades are not good enough or you can’t afford to donate $5 million for a school wing, they’re not going to get into certain schools and that’s OK. There are many great fit schools out there and International College Counselors can help match your student up with the best one for him or her.
  4. Relax. If you’re working with International College Counselors, your child will get into a school that fits. Students can be successful no matter what college they attend.
  5. Provide cheerful support. Encourage your child to maintain their grades. They’ve been working hard to get to this point for 12+ years. They can’t win by quitting before the finish line.
  6. Teach your student life skills. College roommates don’t appreciate it when the person in the bed two feet away hasn’t done laundry in three months.
  7. Get help. If grades are dropping in any classes or your student’s scores aren’t high enough, hire a tutor to help, or seek free instruction resources online. When your kitchen sink doesn’t work, you get it help, same here.
  8. Be excited. Your child is going to college! You’ve done many things right to get to this point. Find joy in their independence.
  9. Treat yourself nicely. Start thinking of all the great ways you can use your child’s bedroom for yourself.

HAPPY 2017!