Are you a star parent?

What can you do to help your child at school? Try our quiz to see if you get full marks for effort, or could do better.

When your child brings a letter home from school, do you:

1. Read it from top to bottom, fill in the reply slip and make a note of any dates in your diary
2. Scan it to see if they are asking for money
3. Chuck it in the bin or use it as scrap paper

Your child has to stay behind for a detention. They swear it was someone else’s fault. Do you:

1. Listen to your child’s side of the story and send a note in with the homework asking for a word on the phone
2. Tell your child that they must have done something to deserve a detention
3. Phone up the school and shout at the teacher

At parents’ evening, the teacher tells you that your child has been misbehaving in class and swearing at the teachers. Do you:

1. Try to think if something has been upsetting your child, and make an appointment to talk to the school about your child’s behaviour
2. Shrug and say it’s a phase they are going through – you were just the same
3. Tell the teacher that if they were a better teacher, this wouldn’t happen and not to complain to you about the lack of control in their class

Your son tells you that the school is threatening to exclude him because he is always late for school and hasn’t done his homework. Do you:

1. Phone the school, ask to speak to the teacher and find out the facts of the case
2. Tell him to pull his socks up or else he won’t get any pocket money that month
3. Storm into the school and threaten to complain to the education authority

How did you do?

Mostly 1s – You are a star parent! You get the information, try to find out the real story and are prepared to talk to the school to sort out the problem, without just blaming your child.

Mostly 2s – You're trying to do the right thing, but without getting involved. Maybe you think it's better for your kid to sort out their own troubles, or the thought of dealing with the school makes you feel like a pupil again! But, probably both your child and the school want a bit more help and support from you. Don't underestimate how much your involvement can benefit your child in the long run.

Mostly 3s – Nobody is going to get the better of you! It’s great to stand up for your kids, but sometimes it can be better not go in all guns blazing. Next time, it might be worth giving the school a chance to tell their side of the story.

May 2007