Getting younger brother to care about school?

Parents Forum
1

<p>I'm not a parent, but could use some advice.</p>

<p>My family is originally from another country, and I've worked very hard through high school to get into a good school. I applied ED to Rice and got in. My younger brother (now a sophomore in HS) is just as smart (probably smarter) than I am, but his grades are low. He has a few A's, mostly B's, and even a couple of C's. </p>

<p>His grades freshman year weren't so hot either, but not as bad as this year. I've explained to him countless times that he needs good grades if he wants to get anywhere, but he doesn't seem to care. The situation was made worse when parents were thinking about moving back to our home country, but later gave up on the idea. For a while he didn't care AT ALL about grades and it really hurt him. Now he's back to "doing just enough to get by" mode, even though I tell him he needs all A's to make up for his low GPA so far. </p>

<p>Parents have tried everything; grounded him, taken away TV, no videogames, no PC until grades are higher, but it doesn't work. You can take a horse to water but can't make him drink. So now they lecture him from time to time but don't know what else to do...</p>

<p>I think part of the reason for his attitude is his stupid friends. They are all idiots. My friends are all asians who are always competing with each other academically, so it was a good motivation for me. Brother hangs out with people who will end up at a community college, though, and not because they can't afford a better school, but rather because they just can't get in anywhere else.</p>

<p>How can I help him see the light? I don't want to see him waste his brilliant mind on flipping burgers for the rest of his life. Help please!</p>

2

<p>Sadly enough, it is his life, and you can't make him do what he doesn't want to. The best thing you can do for him is keep setting a good example. Hopefully he'll wizen up, but if not, a few years in a crappy job might convince him to get his act together and do really well in the best college he can get into. Everyone has their own standards for themselves, and, upsetting as it is, those standards don't always match up to the ones other people hold. Like I said, keep setting a good example, praise him if and when he does get motivated, and above all, try to accept that not everyone is the same, and he may be perfectly happy just the way he is. :)</p>