Stressing about school is tough enough without parents adding to the pressure. They might mean well when they nag, but many students feel that their parents’ over-involvement in their schooling is more harmful than helpful. In recent years this problem has been exacerbated by School Loop, which sends daily emails to parents to update them on their kids’ progress in school. Monte Vista students and teachers alike frequently complain that this system is excessive.
“I like being able to see my own grades on School Loop, but I hate how my parents check them all the time and freak out about it,” said sophomore Mike Abood, whose dad sometimes sends him texts about his grades as soon as he receives the School Loop emails on his phone.
Parents don’t seem to realize that they are only stressing their kids out unnecessarily when they badger them about schoolwork. Most students are perfectly capable of keeping track of their own assignments without the irritating extra reminders. Rather than being motivated, they are often resentful when they feel accountable to their parents for their grades.
“My parents always ask me what I have coming up in school and what I’m going to do to prepare, but me verbally telling them is not going to make me any more prepared,” junior Will DeMuri said.
Obsessive criticism from parents tends not to foster improvement in grades. Everyone learns at their own pace, so it is unrealistic for most parents to expect their children to achieve perfect GPAs. All they can reasonably ask is that students put forth their best effort.
Many teachers, too, are annoyed by parents who contact them immediately after grades are posted, demanding explanations. English teacher Mrs. Barbara Buckley says the problem with the daily email system is that grades fluctuate all the time. When parents look only at quarter and semester progress reports they don’t see this, but when they keep track of grades daily they lose sight of the overall picture.
Grades should be a reflection of what students can do independently, not what their parents can force them to do. Parents who take an overly active role in their children’s schoolwork are not acting in the students’ best interest because they are teaching them to be dependent on that support. In college and beyond, they are not always going to have someone around to help them.
As a student whose parents take a very hands-off approach to my education, I appreciate the freedom to decide for myself what grades I am capable of accomplishing. They are more than willing to help me when I ask for it, but they never force unwanted advice upon me or demand that I achieve certain grades.
Parents should encourage their kids to do their best but allow them to learn that reaching their goals is no one’s responsibility but their own.