What to Do if Your Child Gets Bad Grades

Learn what to do if your child gets bad grades. Although you may feel frustrated and disappointed, the best thing to do is provide your child with useful tools to overcome the situation.
What to Do if Your Child Gets Bad Grades

Last update: 28 February, 2019

What should you do if your child gets bad grades? This is a common concern among parents. The first thing is always to stay calm, and try to understand the reason and find a solution together with your child.

School is your child’s second home. It’s where children learn to get along with other kids and study to prepare for a bright future.

It’s also where they face evaluations and exams, which translates to grades. Sometimes these don’t line up with all the effort put in by both parents and children.

What to do if your child gets bad grades

All parents want their children to receive a good education and do well in school. But it’s almost inevitable that at some point or another, your child will have bad grades, especially in a certain subject.

Why your child gets bad grades

A few bad grades can say a lot about your child and his or her behavior at school. It’s a good idea to analyze all the areas that may be involved. The most common causes are:

Emotional issues

Many young people get nervous during exams. They may experience anxiety, depression, and fear. This can be because they’re perfectionists or don’t feel capable.

Learning disorders

Some children have difficulty learning, memorizing, writing, or grasping concepts. This can translate to distraction. These disorders can be exacerbated by impulsive, aggressive, or disobedient behavior, and lack of motivation.

Poor study habits

This is the main cause of bad grades, given that many children don’t know how to establish good learning strategiesIn most cases, the child doesn’t know how to study, is disorganized, and finds learning difficult.

What to Do if Your Child Gets Bad Grades

Family difficulties

Problems such as parents separating, the death of a loved one, or a sick family member can cause stress and make studying more challenging. Money other problems can be added to this list.

Sometimes, bad grades aren’t completely the child’s fault. Everyone is part of the learning process and influences it somehow. The team includes parents, teachers, and children.

This means that punishment isn’t a solution. Ideally, children will learn from their mistakes and be able to overcome them.

Solutions for bad grades

There’s no doubt that if your child gets bad grades, it will worry you as a responsible parent. However, it’s possible to address your feelings of disappointment and concern to give your child the help he or she needs.

“Many young people get nervous during exams, when they may experience anxiety, depression, and fear.”

A parent’s job ins’t to punish, but rather to educate their children and provide them with useful tools to overcome challenges. Some recommendations for resolving this problem include:

Avoid drama and yelling

Avoid yelling and adding drama to the situation, as this will only make things worse. It leads to excuses and lies from your children. It can also scare your child into crying and hiding the true problem out of fear of admitting what happened. 

Open and honest communication

It’s quite possible that your child also feels disappointed with their results. Remind them how much you love them, no matter what. 

Let them know you want to help them get through this difficult time. Sincerity will help your child feel comfortable explaining what they think the reason is for their bad grades.

Making a plan

Once you’ve identified the problem, you can proceed to plan some study strategies as a team. To guarantee success, keep the following things in mind:

  • A balanced, healthy diet that provides the nutrients that stimulate intelligence.
  • Sufficient rest and less time playing video games, and watching TV.
  • Establish dynamic study routines which integrate different learning strategies. Ideally your child will find motivation and interest in learning.

In conclusion, if your child brings home bad grades, stay calm, take a deep breath, and be understanding. Make an action plan and use positive reinforcement to support their desire to improve. The way you address this situation will be an example for similar situations in the future.


All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.


  • Roth, C. (2011). The Entrepreneur Equation: Evaluating the Realities, Risks, and Rewards of Having Your Own Business. BenBella Books.
  • Navas, L., Maicas, G. S., & Germán, M. A. S. (2003). Predicción de las calificaciones de los estudiantes: la capacidad explicativa de la inteligencia general y de la motivación. Revista de psicología general y aplicada: Revista de la Federación Española de Asociaciones de Psicología56(2), 225-237. https://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/articulo?codigo=760681

This text is provided for informational purposes only and does not replace consultation with a professional. If in doubt, consult your specialist.