Separately, parents should talk to the teen’s teacher to obtain their thoughts and perspectives.

Ask them: “How is your current situation different from how you would like it to be?” When grades begin to plummet, many teens give up. Remember that when high school students fall behind in their classes for any reason (absence, material too difficult, bad test-taking day), catching up can be quite difficult. For example, stress, bullying issues at school, classes that are too advanced, test-taking anxiety, too many absences, learning disabilities, and depression are all possible problems that can contribute to behavior changes. More than likely, there is some underlying problem(s) contributing to the issue. If your teen refuses to do homework or is failing a class, don’t jump to the conclusion that he is simply acting out of defiance. Instead, enter into the conversation with a sense of curiosity to see if you can help uncover the possible reasons why he or she isn’t getting their homework done or passing the class. That means you don’t start the conversation with accusations, yelling, blame, or threats. The first step is to ask your teen what is going on.

Whatever has brought the problem to your attention, it’s important to take a deep breath and work to understand the issue. Maybe your teen has outright refused to do any work, or maybe you received a notice from the teacher, or maybe you got a disappointing surprise on their interim report. Most of the time, parents feel a little shocked when they are confronted with a school problem. But, what is a parent to do when their teen simply refuses to do homework or is suddenly failing a class? Experts recommend parents work to discover the root cause and creatively problem solve with their teen. Some teens are able to succeed at school with ease, and others struggle. Some teens are naturally motivated and others are not.

Working on homework