Tag Archives: parenting

college planning, parenting, scholarships

Will your teen be ready for college?

If you are the parent of an 8th grader, or younger, that is probably the last thing on your mind. High school looms ahead and so do the “terrible teens” and you’re just hoping to survive unscathed.

For one parent of an 8th grader, however, that question is much more prominent in the front of his mind. Michael Sparks’ daughter, Aubrey, will be skipping high school and headed off to college in the fall. She’s been bored in middle school and taken the SAT and managed to score high enough for college admission.

When I read the news story I wondered how could a 14 year old be ready for college life? My 18 year old was barely ready. As parents we try and prepare our kids for all the foreseeable scenarios that might happen once they are on their own and free from parental control and guidance. But there are always those moments when they are faced with choices and have to draw on the lessons they have learned and the values they’ve been taught.

Will your teen be ready for college? It doesn’t happen over night. It takes more than planning and preparation for the admissions process. Begin early training them on how to respond to peer pressure, making the right choices, establishing good study habits, and handling the financial aspect of being independent.

If your teen is headed for college in the fall, take a look at this post on Radical Parenting. It gives you some topics to discuss with them before they leave the nest and head off to that muchly anticipated college experience.

college guidance, college planning

Preparing your teen for college: It’s all about guiding, not doing

1 Comment

 

parent and studentDo you know a parent who attended an Ivy league school and obsessed about their child attending the same school? Have you heard of parents who attended Texas A&M and insisted that their children attend as well?

Being a parent is about guiding, not doing. The old adage that implies “teaching is more profitable than doing” holds true with your teenagers as well. It’s important to impress upon your children the importance of an education. It’s not beneficial to ram a specific college down their throats and tell them if they want to attend college it will be your choice. That’s not parenting, that’s dictating. And while parenthood requires a certain amount of rules, it does not benefit your child to force them into a decision that does not match up with their passion.

If you take the time to teach your child how to apply for scholarships, how to apply for financial aid, and how to fill out a college application, you are teaching them to become independent. You are providing them with skills that will carry over into the job market and into their lives when they begin their own family. If you do it for them, they won’t learn anything and will continue to be dependent on you for other tasks as well.

But, how can you teach them if you don’t have the right tools? How can you help them to prepare for their college years if you didn’t go yourself and have no idea where to begin? That’s why I’m here! To help you find the right tools to help your teen succeed. If you have the tools and know how to use them, you can guide your future college student confidently and be assured that his college experience is personally and academically beneficial.

It’s all about the right tools for the job. I’m here to help. If you have a question about college preparation, please post it here and I’ll be happy to help. I’ve been there myself and I know how overwhelming it can be. I also know how important it is to be prepared.

What is your most pressing college question?