[Rickysa]

Main issue is to determine the cause of the poor grade...

Lazy or needing extra instruction.

I've got a HS sophmore...he skated through middle school and last year w/o studying and getting 98s-100s in every class. He didn't study at all. This year was an awakening for him: gobs of homework and harder classes. He was lazy at first and struggled w/ a class because he wasn't used to working. That got him a chat w/ me about work ethic...improve it or it all gets taken away.

My daughter is 10 and extremely head-strong. She went through a spell not very long ago where she was giving her mom a fit and trying to butt heads with me. I quietly informed here that she treat her mother with respect and not to get loud with me, or I would empty her closets and take a trip to Wal-Mart for a few white tee-shirts, no-name jeans, and Keds.

No yelling etc., just a simple explanation of what is expected of them.

I really like the work of John Rosemond...his basic idea is to treat kids today the way your grandparents raised your parents.

...and emphasize the 3 Rs: Respect, Resourcefulness, and Responsibility, cause they sure as hell are getting that message from anybody else in today's society.