Motivate your teen to swap excuses for effort
When teens struggle in school, some decide, "I'm just not good at this." But that's just an excuse. To inspire your teen to keep trying, ask about what he's learning instead of asking about his grades. Praise the effort he puts in. Encourage him to develop his strengths, too. The good feeling he gets from doing something well can give him the confidence to tackle things that are more difficult.
