How involved are you in school work?

[Anonymous]

DS is generally a decent student but tends not to do work in certain subjects he doesn't like, meaning his grades can occasionally get pretty low. Whenever I try to help with assignments, it turns into a lot of arguing and stress. I feel like being the bad person all the time and trying to make him do the work is damaging our relationship. I'm thinking of just letting it go, even if it means he fails some things. But then I feel like a bad parent. I don't know what the right thing is to do. He is a sophomore in HS.

[Anonymous]

No way. I would make him do it. You don’t have an option of just not turning in your work in high school. If you don’t want to be nagged or for me to make you do it at the dining room table while I hover, then do it on your own. But if you won’t, phone and social activities will be taken away until your assignments are back on track.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No way. I would make him do it. You don’t have an option of just not turning in your work in high school. If you don’t want to be nagged or for me to make you do it at the dining room table while I hover, then do it on your own. But if you won’t, phone and social activities will be taken away until your assignments are back on track.

Taking away devices doesn't help. He just sleeps or lays around or eats all day. And I can't actually "make" him do anything that he doesn't want to do. Nagging and arguing is the only way, plus "helping," which often feels more like me doing it. Which is probably what he wants.