Haalp, I'm not sure what to think.

[Serena]

My little girl brought home a trophy yesterday. For the highest GPA in the 6th grade at her school. Now it sounds really good, and I guess it is. Except, I know she didn't do as well as she can. I know of projects she didn't turn in, homework assignments she had problems with and didn't tell me because she didn't want to bother me.
She didn't make straight A's. And this worries me. Maybe I'm borrowing trouble, I don't know. But if she got the highest grades in her grade at her school, then I'm worried.
I've already been through this before. It's a rude awakening going to highschool and having to actually work for the grades. Having kids a lot smarter than you is a big blow to the ego. I'm not sure Bri is over it yet!

We've had talks about her "not bothering" me, but it doesn't help that I'm not home some evenings for her to ask for help. I've talked with her about talking to her grandparents when I'm not home. They live next door and are teachers for goodness sakes. But again, she doesn't want to bother anyone.

I'm not sure what to think, except to try and do better next school year. But a trophy? It's going to be hard to convince her she needs to do better. We both need to do better.

Ah, just tell me to stop worrying, for today, if nothing else.

 

[Lucky4me]

Stop worrying Mama. Maybe the trophy will inspire her to work harder.

 

[dumboiu]

I'd be worried too if the standard of the school is so low. We don't want to teach our children that mediocrity is the gold standard. If we do, we are headed for trouble in the future.

 

[monkeyboy]

Einstein wasn't the best student either

Don't worry

 

[Dan Murphy]

Don't know what to suggest, Laurie, but do understand where you are coming from, some very valid thoughts there.

 

[snoopy]

We're going through this with Luke right now. He's always been one of the more advanced kids in his class, therefore instead of working even harder, he slacks off. He thinks he is on easy street. I keep telling him that as the years go on, the less easy it will be for him to be the "star" and at the top of his class. I guess he'll have to learn that for himself, so probably will your DD.

 

[klmklm]

Could the "not wanting to bother you" really mean, not wanting to admit that something is hard to understand? My daughter once told me, when she didn't get something in math class, kids made fun of her all day. They were gloating that the "smart kid" was confused about something that they understood.

If she is worried about appearing foolish when she asks for help, then you might want to model this for her: make sure she notices when you yourself make a mistake, have to get help from someone else, or have to read through the directions twice to understand something.

And yes, stop worrying! The trophy is neat! Celebrate!

 

[Melora]

My DD (17) and junior in HS has gotten all A's, one B+ and one B (both B's in math). She is 57th out 500+ kids. In high school it becomes harder and harder to do well.

Nowadays the kids who got into the UC system (University of California such as UCLA) all had a higher than 4.0 GPAs...most had 4.3 or 4.35 due to taking AP classes. Sarahs Boyfriend had a 3.99 and did not get into UCLA (or ANY UC system for that matter). He was very disappointed. He did get into a good university but will still try to transfer at some point because hes going into pre-med, but it really shows that if you are going to a 4 year college, competition is tough these days!!!

 

[AirForceRocks]

DD 10 is very bright, and almost everything seems to come very easily to her, so he tends to take the "easy way out". DH and I have tried to get across to her that it won't always be this easy, and that she should go above and beyond, but she's more than a wee bit hard headed...but I know that she'll get the point eventually, when the more difficult work comes along and she can't just breeze through it. Some lessons have to be learned...

 

[Serena]

Thanks all. I guess she will have to learn. In the meantime, celebrate whatever we can. And the highest GPA in her grade is pretty good.


Kelsea didn't want to bother me at all. If I was tired, had a headache or whatever, instead of telling me she had a problem or needed help, she would keep it to herself. I've had to talk with her a couple times about the fact that she is never a bother, to come to me anytime she needs me, I will always be there for her. It's hard when some nights it's past her bedtime when I get home, but we are both doing better.

 

[nuke]

Laurie it might be something that she needs to figure out on her own. I breezed thru school never really trying but always getting A's and B's. In 7th grade we learned weather or something like that I was totally confused. I got my first D that quarter and thought I would about die! My teacher was great and he wrote a not home that I tried hard but I just didn't "get" it.
It woke me up that some things you just have to study to learn.