Giving Your Kids The "Finish Well" Pep Talk for School

Ironically, I am writing this post after a banner morning. The alarm clock went off and I hit snooze. I hit snooze again. And Ron was LONG gone. His Mondays start insanely early.

It was really quiet. Both of mine were sleeping HARD and I had this selfish thought, “I’m going to let them sleep. They are so beat. What is 1 hour? They can get some good solid rest and start their week of rested?”

And that was a great idea until Ella woke up and said, “MOM! I have a test right when school starts!”

Tears. Anger. Rushing. Stomping.

So – we made it about 20 minutes late. Rested – but frazzled.

Some of your kids have had their best year yet. They found their confidence. They had their best teacher. They finally found their friend group. Praise GOD! Don’t forget to write that down and take photos.

Some of your kids have had challenging years. Maybe health challenges or maybe they were bullied. You might be counting down the days until you slide into summer. You and your child are ready to move beyond this school year.

How can we encourage our kids to persevere and finish the school year well?

Here are some ideas.

Be honest. I like to tell my kids the truth. Girls – mom is struggling. I’m over lunches and carpool and getting their on time. But we saw today – how that’s not kind to your teacher or you. So, let’s make a commitment to finish strong. Do our best until the end. We can do this!
Get practical. Make a countdown banner or list of how many spelling lists left. Depending on the personality of your child – they need to physically see the calendar and what all is left for them to accomplish. They are weary of trying really hard.
Get creative. Draw a race/track – and show them where they are on the track. You’ve gone THIS far with your great grades and attitude. Don’t fall down on the track right here – keep going. How can mom help you? What is distracting us right now that can help you finish the year? What is overwhelming you and how can I help?
Let Them Do It. This one is super challenging for me – because so often I want to do the work for my kids and let them off the hook. It’s a quick fix but a terrible remedy. Whether we are teaching them perseverance or responsibility – pushing through is always the best answer for raising adults. We want them to leave our house able to soar. And able to depend on God. And work through the mess and hard days.
Encourage them. Mine need to be reminded that straight A’s and perfection are not required in our house. We want them to do their best – and grades aren’t the only reason they are in school. There is still time in the school year to hug some friends and HAVE FUN! Is there a friend we can have over or an after school milkhake we forgot to get?

Family Conversation Questions:

Why is it even important to finish strong in school?
What does that teach us for bigger things in life?
Do we only work hard at things we love? or easy things?
How can we make our teachers and staff feel REALLY loved before we leave for the summer? Spend more time with words than checking gifts off the list.