As a parent, you certainly want the best for your children. While a college education is important, it is only one of many roads to success. But you are convinced that college is the best road for your child and you are meeting with resistance, trying using the following tactics to convince your children of the value of a college education. Keep in mind however, that all you can do is guide and suggest. The final decision is ultimately up to your son or daughter.
1. Give Him/Her a Chance to Explain. Be glad that you’ve raised a teen that has his own ideas about life and wants to carve his own path to success. Give him a chance to explain exactly why he believes that chasing a college education is the wrong direction for him. Of course, try to keep an open mind.
2. Come to an Agreement. If your son or daughter’s mind is made up about foregoing college this year, meet him or her halfway.
3. Provide an Incentive. If you truly believe that your child’s only true shot at attaining a successful career is by attending college, entice him or her to your point of view. Offer a financial incentive or other type of reward that he or she can earn with solid, specific academic progress.
It’s only natural to want the best for your children. And college generally is the best route to success for most individuals. However, it’s important to understand that college is only one of many paths to success in life. Your role in your child’s success is to support and encourage him to chase after his dreams. Ultimately, he has to decide on the path that’s right for him.
Trust in your parenting skills. You’ve raised a talented, intelligent, and self-sufficient young adult. It can be hard to let go, but you’ve instilled in your child the values you deem important. As he goes through the trials of life, he’ll stay true to those values with or without a college degree.