Consultation 1

A Guardian of a 10th grade student came to me with the following issue:
* Student is unmotivated
* Student is unwilling to complete assignments
* Student does not participate in class
* Student has multiple missing assignments
* Student is receiving F's in three classes

In any situation where the student has a lack of motivation, usually a key reason revolves within the family. The guardian in this case is the student's aunt; the sister of the student's dad. The student's dad is laying down the punishment(s) but it is the aunt that is executing the punishments. The aunt spends the most time supporting, interacting, and guiding the student. This type of fracture in the family creates a power struggle that can easily be, and often is, manipulated by the student. Simply, the aunt needs to pull away as much as possible and no longer interfere when it comes to the student's academics or education. The aunt is going to refer all communications from the school directly to the student's dad. Accountability is vital. If the student and dad care about the future, then each will need to develop an interest in the student's academic well being. Perhaps with time, the student's behavior may change but not until the parent(s)take an active roll. The issue resides with the parent not the school or the aunt. If a child fails, then support must come from the parent but there still needs to be an expectation of the student to improve.