Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Finish Well


It's getting difficult to keep kids motivated until the end of the school year at this point. Whether they are in kindergarten or a senior in high school, they've mentally already left the building. Unfortunately, the goal is to "finish well" so look for ways to keep your child focused until the very last day.

Teachers are challenged to stay motivated and energized as they hurdle toward the last days of school. Social media is full of memes that show the difference between what a teacher looks like, thinks, and does at the beginning of the school year and what they look like, think, and do at the end. Funny as it may seem, it is all too true to ignore. We're all tired.

But for those high school and even college seniors, the last weeks and days are distracting at best or disappointing at worst. For those with high school seniors who have already been accepted into a college for the fall, keep in mind that how they finish their last semester matters. Colleges and universities request the "semester 8" transcript to see how well your child did. Their acceptance is conditional upon that last semester's performance. They have every right to rescind that acceptance. It happens all the time.

"A job worth doing is a job well done" - as a parent it's important that you instill and model for your kids what it takes to finish well even when you're tired of it all and ready to move on yourself. The lazy, hazy days of summer aren't here quite yet.

Feel free to focus on that countdown. Keep the end in mind. The idea is to run to the finish like a sprinter and not hobble across it. Let's all shoot for a photo finish! Encourage your kids to stay neck and neck with their peers as they race for the finish line.



And then CELEBRATE big time!