Student not Living up to her Potential

My husband and I are at a total standstill about what we should do about our very smart seventh-grader. She is not receiving the grades that she should, and her teachers are disappointed with her work. I think she should have an organized study time and strive to do her best. My very bright husband, on the other hand, speaks often about just sailing through school without doing much work, and our daughter has adopted this approach. He believes that our child will be able to turn things around when she decides it is the appropriate time. How can we resolve this? - Disagreeing
Answer: Quickly call a truce, especially if the two of you are arguing this issue in front of your daughter. We can easily see how appealing her father's attitude is. While this attitude might work for some very bright students, there is no guarantee that your child will be able to turn things around.
Your daughter is developing some bad habits that might be hard to overcome. When bright students have not learned how to study, they can face serious difficulties in handling the more challenging classes in high school and simply give up trying to do well. Plus, not getting good grades now can limit future options, such as taking algebra in eighth grade or being enrolled in honors classes. Point out these pitfalls in your daughter's attitude toward school to your husband.
Since using your husband's approach to studying has not resulted in a successful experience in school for your daughter, ask him to support your approach this coming year. Your daughter should be working on schoolwork at least an hour a night, whether or not she has homework. You might consider enrolling her in a study-skills class this summer if you believe that she truly does not know how to study. Working seriously on her schoolwork should increase your daughter's interest in her classes and give her pride in her efforts.