Report Cards

The report card is an important part of a child’s life, an affirmation of effort, even if the grades aren’t the greatest. If you think back to your school days, you’ll probably remember a few cards that you worried about and others you were especially proud of.

• Remember that your child’s grades are theirs, not yours. If they’re earned only to please you, then they can also be allowed to drop to punish you. Ask your child how he or she feels about the report card. Is he satisfied? Is improvement called for?

• Pay agreed-upon sums of money if you wish, or better still for improvement. And consider a cash reward a bonus for a job well done. You might even consider letting your child have a voice in setting the reward. Or let the reward be a special family celebration with the child seated at the head of the dinner table, and the place set with the best silver.

• Don’t put strings on your complements such as following a commendation of a good report card with, “Well, now I expect to see all “A’s” the next time.”

• Also be sure to have a special school file where you save each year end report card for when your children have their children.

Vicki Lansky’s practical, common sense approach to parenting is familiar to millions throughout the world. Vicki’s first book, Feed Me, I’m Yours, published in 1974, and still one of the most popular baby/toddler food cookbooks in the country, was followed by The Taming of the C.A.N.D.Y. Monster, a #1 New York Times bestseller. Her other titles include: Toilet Training, Birthday Parties Best Party Tips & Ideas For Ages 1-8, Dear Babysitter Handbook, Welcoming Your Second Baby, Getting Your Child to Sleep … and Back to Sleep, Trouble-free Travel with Children, Baby Proofing Basics and Games Babies Play From Birth to Twelve Months, Koko Bear’s New Potty, A New Baby at Koko Bear’s House, Koko Bear and the New Babysitter, and Koko Bear’s Big Earache. Vicki Lansky’s Divorce Book for Parents: Helping Children Cope with Divorce and Its Aftermath