In 2009, Trenton O'Neal's parents were so upset with his bad performance on his report card that they made him wear a sandwich board with his bad marks displayed for all to see on a busy section of highway. While you may not want to be so harsh with your punishment, disciplining your teens for bad grades can give them the wake-up call that they need in order to buckle down and improve their report cards.
Step 1
Stop extracurricular activities until grades improve. Your son may be the quarterback of the football team, but sitting him down and explaining that grades and education are more important than sports can give him the incentive to focus on his school work. Arrange with the coach or teacher beforehand to hold the spot on the team before resorting to this type of punishment.
Step 2
Remove the communication devices that your teen owns. Online messaging, social networking sites, cell phones and pagers can all disrupt your teen's homework and learning in school. Take these items away, or block her from the computer until her grades are raised to an acceptable level. She'll most likely work hard in order to get her communication devices back.
Step 3
Allow your child to suffer the consequences and ramifications of bad grades. He may find that he gets in trouble at school more and is kept for detention without a parent to come and smooth the situation over, notes the Positive Discipline Association. Explain that if he wants to make his own choices concerning his education, then he will accept his own consequences, even if that means repeating a grade or not getting into the university of his choice.
Step 4
Look for tutoring opportunities, and sign your teen up for them. You'll be disciplining her by taking away some of her time and freedom for tutoring, but it will also help her improve her grades. You can also look for your teen's summer school options and sign her up if her final grades are not up to par.
Step 5
Be consistent with your discipline so that your teen always knows what to expect, says HealthGuidance.org. Setting down clear rules and responsibilities can ensure your teen's cooperation. For instance, if you say that any grade below a "C" will cause you to take her cell phone away, follow through with that discipline, despite any begging or pleading. Following through on discipline shows her that you are serious and that there will be consequences for bad grades.
