It can be a moment that many parents dread—your kid’s school phoning up and explaining that unfortunately, your kid is in detention. This can be a stressful moment for families, but there are ways of dealing with it that can help stop it from happening again. Check out this advice on what to do if your kid gets a detention.
Stay Calm
It can be tempting to grill your kid as soon as they get home and demand to know what they’ve done to deserve a detention. However, it’s important to let them share their side of the story first. If this is their first time in detention, the chances are they’re feeling a little ashamed and upset, so flying off the handle will only make things worse. Although it’s likely that your kid was messing about in class in some way, teachers and school staff do make mistakes, so make sure you listen to your kid’s version of events.
Establish the Reason
Your reaction to your kid’s detention is likely to vary depending on the reason it was given. Were they mucking about with a friend and talking over the teacher? Although it’s not ideal behavior, it is typical teenage stuff and the detention has probably done enough. If they’ve been held back after class because of bullying behaviors, then this is something you may want to take more seriously and address head-on with them at home. You could think of further punishments, such as grounding your kid or withdrawing their allowance.
Talk to the School
It can be worth checking in with your kid’s teachers to see if their behavior has noticeably changed for the worse. This can be an indicator of stress or poor mental health, so it’s a good idea to stay on top of these things and know how your child is doing outside of the home.