Grades Get Way of Social Life

Dear Dee:
My parents think my grades are going down because I focus too much on my social life. They're way off! The crush I have actually helps me in all my school work, they just don't notice that. Do you think I should forget my crush forever and just focus on school for the rest of my life?

OK. I am going to state the obvious here ... (or at least I think it's obvious!). If your grades are going downhill and your crush is helping you with your schoolwork, maybe he's not the best person to be helping you with your work. Maybe his helping you IS the problem! (What are his grades like?)

Anyway, the only way you're going to get your parents to say it's OK to be a social butterfly is if you shape up and make the grade. This doesn't mean you forget your crush -- that's way extreme. Just focus. Spend the time you need to on your homework, THEN spend time with your crush and your friends.

Show your parents you are responsible enough to prioritize and take care of business. Don't goof off and force your parents into making you cut back on social activities -- prove you know how to manage your time, energies and efforts.

It all boils down to responsibility: You are either a responsible person or you're not. And at this time in your life, it's your parent's job to make decisions/choices for you if you prove to them you can't choose wisely. Don't make them do that. Because regardless of what you might think, they don't enjoy the 'mean' part of parenting as much as we like to think they do.