Everyone remembers the kid in class who never had his homework done, and often was the class clown.  Most of us didn’t know he or she was often the most intelligent kid in the class.  Grades are not the sole indication of a child’s intelligence.

You may have a kid who is failing in school, but is one heck of a great kid at home. The reason is simple.  He is a hands-on kid.  He is no less intelligent; he just wants to use his intelligence to “do” something.  He may also be a risk taker.  A kid who loves to challenge every hill and gully.

I can just hear Christopher Columbus’s mom yelling at him as he’s testing if his boat was going to fall off the edge of the earth.  He was a thinker. He didn’t follow the mindset of the day.  He was a risk taker. 

Risk takers do not like to sit at a desk.  They like to use their knowledge as they acquire it.  So, what do you do if you have a kid who hates school?

 My son was that very student.  He hated everything School.  For his entire career he challenged the teacher and his parents.  Every single year was a battle that he ultimately lost.  He had to go to school and he had to pass.  Period.  That’s the secret of schooling a hands-on kid.  There’s no choice. 

If you have a reluctant student, you must send him to school each day with a foot against his butt.  His only job is to pass his courses. Period.  Non-negotiable.   His studies might be a challenge, but to get him through, you must stay in contact with the teacher and push Junior to do what’s expected.

 Here’s a simple rule of thumb.  Always believe the adult.  In the entire 13 years of education, this approach only failed on me once.  Junior was less likely to tell me a BS story.  You know what I mean.  As kids, we tell the story with enough truth not to implicate ourselves.  Parents are so busy; they just believe the first story they hear so if Junior gets home first, we’re likely to believe him.  Be careful that you don’t fall into that trap.  A kid who is successful at telling his parents half-truths will never be successful in school.

 No matter what you think of education, your kid must have one.  Support the process of education.  If something doesn’t seem right, contact school in a calm, listening manner.   Education is the prep for life.

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