Tip of the Week

November 15, 2021

Parents just don’t understand

It likely comes as no surprise that your child doesn’t always say what they mean. When it comes to schoolwork, listen closely to the code words your child is using. Identifying the underlying meaning will help you figure out how best to help. Keep in mind, code words may have different underlying meanings for different students — there’s not an exact science to it. 

Here are a few examples of code words with possible underlying meanings. Do you have more to add? Please visit our Facebook page and add a comment!

Code words: “I’m tired” or “I don’t care” 
Possible meaning: “I’m overwhelmed” or “I’m frustrated”
Intervention: Break the assignment down into manageable pieces.

Code words: “It’s boring” or “I don’t feel like it”
Possible meaning: “I don’t know where or how to start”
Intervention: Break down directions step by step and/or create a “getting unstuck” checklist.