Holding on Until Graduation

Have you ever watched a rodeo? You know it’s going to be a bumpy ride and the goal is just to hang on for as long as you can, hopefully beyond whatever the longest time is so far. Unfortunately, for many parents this is what it’s like trying to get their school through high school. It's rough, and they're just trying to keep their kids hanging on until they reach graduation.

            I think nearly all parents have high aspirations for their children when they're little. Often, those hopes include college. Once, high school gets rolling though, it sometimes becomes clear that just might not happen. At that point, the goal really needs to shift from college planning and preparation to just hanging on and trying to get the student to get a high school diploma.

This doesn't mean you're a bad parent. This is just the path that some students take. I like to think, though, that all hope is not lost. These students still have potential and they can be successful later in life. I believe these non-starters just need a little bit more time to mature and figure out some things about the real world. They need a little life experience to learn that they want more for themselves long term than what their little high school job is able to provide.

            The trick here, from the parent perspective, is to keep all that opportunity in play. That generally means getting a high school diploma and that's really where I'm going with the hanging on to the bull analogy. Getting a GED doesn't really provide the same opportunities as a high school diploma (i.e. the military). Getting into serious legal trouble or getting into career tracts that will eventually get them into legal troubles, like drug dealing, is probably the biggest threat. Each of those is tantamount to falling off the bull.

In order to avoid these things as a parent, you have to fight. There is no time to lament different decisions you could have made. You have to work with your kid to keep grades at a minimum level to graduate even if that means throwing immediate college plans out the window. You have to challenge their behavior and work to keep them out of trouble. This is not easy. It will be a struggle and probably result in many sleepless nights. But hang on. All those bumps and bruises will be worth it if you can get them that diploma and keep them out of jail. Hang on to the bucking bull of yours, and love them along the way. If you can do that, that bull will grow to graze peacefully in the pastures your cleared for them....one day.