What's a parent to do? You're frustrated with your kid's grades--you've tried everything, nothing seems to work--but would you dare do what some parents in Chesapeake did? Some consider it controversial and extreme, but this mom and dad say they needed to do something to really get their son's attention.
"It was an embarrassment to us, that we tried so much to reach him and it seems like everything we did failed. It's extremely--it makes you feel like a failure as a parent." Tanyeil General say she and her husband tried everything to boost the grades of their 15-year-old son Trenton. "We're printing out extra credit assignments, we're tutoring him, we're going over quizzes with him."
Husband Don said they tried covering all the bases, "we took him to different doctors and when the doctors came back with the report he was okay, there's nothing mental, there's no A-D-D .....A-D-H-D issues, no learning disability."
Trenton has his own diagnosis, "because when it comes to school---it's boring."
He's had his video games, cell phone and computer taken away in the past. but with these latest grades, mom wanted to get his attention. "I really wanted something that was going to be an eye opener for Trenton, I really wanted him to understand the severity of his grades."
They were thinking of taking his cell phone again, but his dad says he was given an option. "The choice was his cell-phone for two weeks or a corner for two hours." And his dad adds with a chuckle and he chose the corner? "He chose the corner."
What Trenton chose was holding this sign showing he's flunking algebra and English--at the bottom of the sign---the words, "my future equals shaky", while standing on a busy nearby street corner. Don says the reaction? "It was absolutely amazing.....we received great compliments from law enforcement, probation officers, educators who are saying this is what we need, the support we're looking for from parents to get involved with their kids life."
Trenton's father said they also heard from some people who didn't choose the right path for their lives. "They came up and said do you mind if I talk to your son and they said you don't want to end up like me, listen to your parents, they love you and I wish I had parents that had been this strict with me."
Trenton has a different take on his punishment. "Yeah I was a little..... yeah I was embarrassed---yeah....cause this was most unexpected punishment--I didn't expect something like this."
And yes his parents did consider the impact on their son's self esteem. Don said he and his wife talked it over, "but then we thought what kind of self esteem will he have if he ends up with a will work for food sign around his neck in a couple of years or worse yet, in an orange jump suit with a prison placard around his neck." He adds, "we know what he can take and he has such a strong personality strong willed, we had to do something to get his attention." And his parents believe they did. "Normally we're pulling teeth to try and get him to grab his books or get extra credit; he's doing all that now on his own, so i know it's worked in him."
Trenton reluctantly agrees. "Being on that corner sucks and I need to work harder so I won't be back there."
Trenton's parents promise this story isn't over---that if Trenton continues to improve on his school work, when his next report card comes out, mom and dad will be out on that same street corner with a sign boldly show-casing their son's grades.
Now it's your chance to weigh in---were the parent's methods extreme or would you put them into practice, head to the three cents icon and sound off.
"It was an embarrassment to us, that we tried so much to reach him and it seems like everything we did failed. It's extremely--it makes you feel like a failure as a parent." Tanyeil General say she and her husband tried everything to boost the grades of their 15-year-old son Trenton. "We're printing out extra credit assignments, we're tutoring him, we're going over quizzes with him."
Husband Don said they tried covering all the bases, "we took him to different doctors and when the doctors came back with the report he was okay, there's nothing mental, there's no A-D-D .....A-D-H-D issues, no learning disability."
Trenton has his own diagnosis, "because when it comes to school---it's boring."
He's had his video games, cell phone and computer taken away in the past. but with these latest grades, mom wanted to get his attention. "I really wanted something that was going to be an eye opener for Trenton, I really wanted him to understand the severity of his grades."
They were thinking of taking his cell phone again, but his dad says he was given an option. "The choice was his cell-phone for two weeks or a corner for two hours." And his dad adds with a chuckle and he chose the corner? "He chose the corner."
What Trenton chose was holding this sign showing he's flunking algebra and English--at the bottom of the sign---the words, "my future equals shaky", while standing on a busy nearby street corner. Don says the reaction? "It was absolutely amazing.....we received great compliments from law enforcement, probation officers, educators who are saying this is what we need, the support we're looking for from parents to get involved with their kids life."
Trenton's father said they also heard from some people who didn't choose the right path for their lives. "They came up and said do you mind if I talk to your son and they said you don't want to end up like me, listen to your parents, they love you and I wish I had parents that had been this strict with me."
Trenton has a different take on his punishment. "Yeah I was a little..... yeah I was embarrassed---yeah....cause this was most unexpected punishment--I didn't expect something like this."
And yes his parents did consider the impact on their son's self esteem. Don said he and his wife talked it over, "but then we thought what kind of self esteem will he have if he ends up with a will work for food sign around his neck in a couple of years or worse yet, in an orange jump suit with a prison placard around his neck." He adds, "we know what he can take and he has such a strong personality strong willed, we had to do something to get his attention." And his parents believe they did. "Normally we're pulling teeth to try and get him to grab his books or get extra credit; he's doing all that now on his own, so i know it's worked in him."
Trenton reluctantly agrees. "Being on that corner sucks and I need to work harder so I won't be back there."
Trenton's parents promise this story isn't over---that if Trenton continues to improve on his school work, when his next report card comes out, mom and dad will be out on that same street corner with a sign boldly show-casing their son's grades.
Now it's your chance to weigh in---were the parent's methods extreme or would you put them into practice, head to the three cents icon and sound off.
