My son or daughter wants to get a GED
Every day I see parents searching and finding my blog, looking for advice regarding their children. Here’s my advice after writing and maintaining this blog for almost 18 months.
You are a Resourceful Parent, so be Resourceful
Sadly, the parents of criminal teenagers or habitually truant high school students probably aren’t looking for GED advice on the Internet.
Educated parents with resources use the Internet, searching for GED advice for their sons and daughters. So here’s my advice.
Choose a GED from a Position of Strength
Perhaps your son or daughter is pushing you to let them drop out of high school.
Mom, Dad, I’ll get the GED later. The test is pretty easy. It’s not a problem.
If your son or daughter is bright, well educated, perhaps the test will be easy for them. But if tests are so easy, why is your daughter or son trying to drop out of high school? Have you identified their problems in high school and faced those problems with your teenager?
- Pregnant daughter – If your daughter has the child, federal law (Title IX) entitles her to the same education others receive regardless of her gender.
- Bullied teenager – If your son or daughter is being bullied at school, have you used every resource at that school to punish/discipline the bullies and take your son or daughter out of harm’s way?
- Truant – If your son or daughter is habitually late or absent from high school, there’s a reason. Do you know that reason?
- Criminal behavior – Again, do you know why your son or daughter is acting out with criminal behavior? What are the causes?
Does your teenager have a valid reason for getting a GED instead of staying in high school? I’ve read of a star baseball player who decided to drop out of high school and pass the GED so he could begin his baseball career a year or two early. He was an exception. But his parents and he had a positive alternative reason for his passing the GED.
The young baseball phenom chose passing the GED as a method to speed up his professional career.
Yes, I have Kids
Anyone reading this will ask, “Does he have kids?”.
Yes, I have two grown children ages 23 and 25. Strong kids, bright, college graduates.
But that doesn’t mean they were perfect teenagers. There were some bumps in the road, some scary nights when one child came home late on a weekend, or not at all.
All I know is that my wife and I always had good communication with our teenagers. They always listened to a good discussion from their parents at the dining room table. I love my kids dearly.
Why does your son or daughter want to take the GED?
If your son or daughter has a valid plan for dropping out of high school and passing the GED, why not listen to their alternative?
Just make sure your teenager’s GED plan is made from a position of strength, not a desperate alternative made because of weakness.
