Are you the parent of a teenager? I am a single parent of a 19 yr old high school student, who has never taken school seriously?

It is very likely that your son is indeed exhausted and discouraged from going to high school for an extended amount of time. It sounds as though he has had to repeat a grade at some point due to his lack of motivation for school work since he is somewhat older than his peers? Having an older teen who is legally already an adult, can be sometimes difficult to deal with effectively, especially if both of your priorities are somewhat different.

The first thing to do is to stop making excuses for him as to why he might need time off from school. If you are indeed still responsible for him from the school’s point of view you must not allow him to skip school whenever he pleases and remind him of his expressed desire to complete his education and continue on to college. Let him know that he only needs to hang in there for the remainder of the school year (if he’s a senior) and then high school will finally be over for him.

Sit him down and discuss his commitment to school with him and help him figure out how much time he must invest in order to achieve his graduation requirements. Having a distinct plan in place may help him put things into perspective, provide him with a foreseeable goal, and allow him to gain a glimpse of a high school-free future. When your son told you he would like to continue his education, he may have indicated that although he’s still in high school he may be ready to move on to bigger and better things: college.

Sometimes when students appear to be fed up with school and complain of boredom, subjects studied in school may actually be not challenging enough for them and they are oftentimes ready to pursue an education where they can study what truly interests them. Your son sounds like a smart young man who is aware of the concept of responsibility and hard work. He also seems to be a typical young adult who loves to explore his youth by focusing on enjoyable activities.

Thus, the best approach to take is to let him know that you understand his desire to have fun and the feeling that school may not always be a thrilling experience. However, you must ensure that he understands the importance of taking his senior year studies seriously, as well as the consequences that may follow if he decides not to. It may be in his best interest to create successful study habits while still in high school, since he would carry these along to college for effective post-secondary learning.

Show your son you support him and talk to him in a non-critical way, since you may otherwise cause him to shut down and stop listening (if he feels you are lecturing him rather than discussing options to successfully manage his final high school year). Finally, you should never sign him out of school regardless how much he pleads with you (unless, of course, he is actually not feeling well), since you may then be sending him the signal that it is okay to skip school when you feel like it and that school is not truly important enough for you to dedicate your time and attention to while there. True, school days can seem long at times, but your son has to realize that even if he decides against college and wants to enter the working world, there will be no acceptance of excuses from employers nor will you be able to “sign” him out whenever he simply does not feel like going or staying.Gh school prepares teens and young adults for their adult lives following secondary education in certain ways, and ensuring proper attendance is one way to teach students the importance of responsibility and commitment to a cause.

I don't have a teen but I was one a long time ago ;) I agree with the poster before me that school isn't for everyone, and at his age, I'm wondering if maybe it's gotten to be too stressful and he's thinking of reasons to not go or get signed out. Another question could be whether he's not understanding the school work and just doesn't want to say it. I would imagine it must be kind of embarrassing for him to be in school either way.

I'd let him get his GED or finish online. There are high school courses available online that he could do, because in the end he definitely needs to get some form of education. It just might be better for his self esteem if he finishes somewhere else.

If he's working and doing the handyman thing on the weekends, he's probably one of those guys that needs to be doing something and learns easier that way. Lots of guys are like that (and girls for that matter), it doesn't mean they're bad or anything is wrong with them. The school setting is definitely not for everyone.

He will be done with everything and be ready to move on. He's board with school because all his friends are gone . Obtaining a HS deploma for the sake of a HS graduation is not needed .

My wife was home schooled and never graduated . A GED will get him to the starting point.

I say, with as loud a voice as one person can, look into a GED, and do it now. School is not for everyone and it cost nothing to look into it. Some people take to the GED route like a duck to water.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if he turned out to be one of those? youtube.com/watch?v=1Wjkl4QqDFc.

I have two teenagers, one still at school ( just ) and one who didn't finish school but is doing other study outside of school. It has taken me a few years to realise that they are not mine to control, not teenagers anyway. Even if they pretend to do what you want, they really only do what they want when they want - do you understand what I mean, our influence as parents decreases at this point, they pay 'lip service' to what we ask.

That being said, they still value our input and love and support. So admit to him that you understand, school is boring and dull and he doesn't want to be there, but he has to for a little bit longer. Tell him to just sit and hang in there, he doesn't actually need to do much but be seen and be counted.

Don't sign him out but tell him why you can't - Put it in terms of your legal liability with the school, they are following procedure and so must you. It's not a question of love or helping him or anything, its what you must do. And as a young adult its the first time he has to think about the legality of what's happening and why it must be the way it is.

Teenagers only listen if we tell them what they want to hear. Tell him you hear the complaints from him, you are listening, but at this point your hands are tied and its impossible to do as he asks. Count down the days/weeks/months he has left just like he does...."wow, only 2 more months of this rubbish eh?" ... "another week, another one out of the way" so be sympathetic but don't get caught in the 'help me out Mum' conversations.

It might work, it worked with mine so she stayed till the end of the year ( a few months of real hassle but it paid off :) and yes, I'm also a single parent. We have no backup, we have no one with us saying "listen to your Mother" so we make up one! In this case its the school authority that binds you as well as him.

Consider yourself a team to get over the last hurdle. And if he can see the end getting closer with your help it might just work out :) He does sound like he has good potential so in the long run I'm sure it will work out for both of you. Good luck and I hope you get some helpful advice.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.