1. Incorporate Learning Style
Make sure you are incorporating your teens learning style. If you have a kinesthetic learner, for example, you would want to incorporate wiggling with seatwork. You can make sure teens are moving while doing bookwork by standing on a Simply Fit Board, or sit on a Yoga Ball while doing their math or history.
2. Set Clear Expectations
You need to set clear expectations. How many math problems, which assignment, how many pages or chapters to read. For some subjects and some children, you may need to set a 30 minute timer, because that’s as long as the child can concentrate on that subject.
3. Have Reasonable Expectations
You can’t expect a teenager to work with 100% concentration on one difficult task after another. Mix up your easy and challenging subjects. Plan for each lesson to take as long as it takes when your child is working with reasonable compliance, not when working at top form on those rare “perfect behavior” days.
4. Institute Consequences
Consequences are best handled by the non-teaching parent. This will help the teaching parent maintain a calm, positive teaching atmosphere. There is enough challenge to figure out learning styles and expectations. Sharing the load on consequences is appropriate. The spouse can:
- Check to see that the work was done.
- Decide if consequences are necessary.
- Institute and enforce those consequences.
You may want to read up on some consequences you can use. Read these and see what might work with you and your family.
- Effective punishment for the adolescent: Used selectively with adolescents, punishment can have corrective influence.
- The Most Effective Consequences for Teenagers: Consequences that will motivate your teen to behave next time.
- “Why Don’t Consequences Work for My Teen?” Here’s Why…and How to Fix It.
I hope these suggestions are helpful for you. Disciplining can be hard and can take a toll on your relationship if not done well.
