Every Year Counts: Advice to Parents Entering the High School Years

Recently, in a Facebook alumni group that I’m part of, a parent asked a thoughtful question directed toward parents of graduating seniors:

“What advice would you give to parents whose child is entering high school next year?”

Literally every year counts.

If your child is already strong academically, nurture that. Help them stay focused, continue growing in their knowledge, and encourage activities outside of academics too. There are a lot of smart students with high GPAs and test scores graduating every year, so they’ll still need other ways to stand out, especially with the direction and uncertainty of secondary education in this country.

If your child is not entering high school academically strong, help them unlock ways to improve. That doesn’t always mean loading up on AP or IB classes. Sometimes it means helping them build confidence and excel at the level they’re currently on while continuing to grow.

And if your child is heavily focused on sports (and sports only), encourage them to explore clubs, leadership roles, volunteering, or other activities too. We would love for every child with dreams of becoming a professional athlete to make it but realistically, the odds may not always work in their favor. They need something else to stand on as well.

When students graduate, they don’t graduate with cords because they were a great athlete. They graduate with recognition tied to academics, leadership, organizations, service, and involvement too. And if sports scholarships don’t work out, other scholarships connected to academics, organizations, and extracurricular involvement may help open doors.

So I’ll say it again: every year counts.

That mindset helps set students up for success while navigating high school, handling hiccups along the way, and preparing for the scholarship marathon that can honestly start as early as sophomore or junior year.

Also, know your child. If at some point along their educational journey they express interest in a trade or a path outside of a traditional four-year college, help them understand what that path entails and set them up for success there too. Success can look like many different things. Sometimes that success is found in a skilled trade that does not require a four-year degree and that is okay.

My son literally graduated on Monday, and I still have at least another decade before my next one graduates 😭

I do have resources on my website for high school students, and this month we’ll be revamping and updating many of them. A lot of the current resources are still relevant though, so feel free to take a look, download PDFs, and join the mailing list as we continue updating resources, opportunities, and information for students and families.

And don’t worry… this is just Part 1 😭 I could write a whole separate article on teaching teenagers basic life skills like laundry, budgeting, deadlines, responsibility, and surviving without texting “what’s for dinner?” every day. Stay tuned 😂

With love & growth, 

Dr. Shan 🤍

#Parenting #HighSchoolParents #CollegePreparation #Scholarships #EducationMatters #StudentSuccess #ParentingTeens #HighSchoolJourney #CollegeReady #AcademicSuccess #Mentorship #FirstGeneration #StudentAthletes #BlackProfessionals #WorkingMoms #SingleMomJourney #EducationalEquity #YouthDevelopment #CareerReadiness #DrShan