Encouraging your teens to hit the books

I was apparently getting on her nerves because I offered her a milkshake before inquiring after her revision plans for the day – she is taking a GCSE a year early and her exam is in seven days’ time.

And like most parents, I want the Teen to leave school with a fistful of GCSEs (I’m not a pushy parent - I’d be quite happy with Cs).

However, she doesn’t quite see things like I do.

To her, college and career are something in the dim and distant future. University is some way ahead – possibly parallel with retirement in her brain.

She worries far more about how she’s going to persuade me to let her go to yet another sleepover with friends and how fast her music downloads are, than studying for a time she can’t even imagine.

So bring in the Sergeant Major.

I can be heard daily saying: “Stop texting. Stop watching that TV.

“Where are your books?

“Why aren’t they open? No, your friends can’t come round until you have revised for at least an hour.”

“Yeah, all right mum, stop going on. I’ll do it in a minute,” she tells me.

“Kayleigh’s coming round now – I’ll do it tonight. I promise.”

And so it goes on.

You see, from when the Teen was a baby, I would read to her every night, talk to her, feed her nutritious, intelligence-boosting food, do anything to prepare her for academic success.

Has it worked?

Well, she would pass up mackerel fillets for a Big Mac any day of the week and she loves to procrastinate. I’m really not sure how she’ll get on.

The truth is, whatever grade she gets in her GCSE I will be proud of her, and I love her dearly.

I just want her to be happy.

But I am pretty sure she would be happier if she got good grades.

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