Tips for Families to Support School Attendance
Supporting your teen
Help your child understand that school is your child's job
- Make school attendance a priority and your expectation for your child.
- Talk to your child about the importance of daily attendance in every class and how it helps his/her learning.

Help your child build good habits
- Help your child practice good daily habits like:
- finishing homework and placing it in his/her backpack
- laying out clothes and the backpack in the evening
- having a regular bedtime for a good night's sleep
- leaving early enough in the morning to get to school on time.
- Help your child build responsibility skills by reminding them to make up any missed school work after an absence.
When your child is sick
- Only let your child stay home if he/she is truly sick. Sometimes complaints of a headache or stomach ache might be a sign of anxiety and not a reason to stay home. Contact the teacher or school counselor for support if you think this might be happening.
- The Sick Day Guidelines for Families may be helpful, if you are not sure if you should keep your child at home due to illness.
Appointments and vacations
- Make every effort to schedule doctor, dentist, and other appointments after school hours.
- If your child must be out of school for an appointment, get him/her back to school for at least part of the school day.
- Plan vacations when school is not in session.
Attendance records
- Contact the school every time your child will be absent.
- Check your child's attendance regularly on ParentVue or with school staff.
- Use ParentVue to keep your contact information up-to-date with the school (phone numbers, address, parent work location, email address, etc.).
Getting Help
- Contact your child's teacher or the school counselor for support if your child is resisting going to school.
Keep Your Teen Interested in School
Talk with your teen about classes
- Ask about his/her school day.
- Learn which classes are engaging your teen's interests.
- Discuss ways to increase interest in classes your teen does not find engaging.
- Stay on top of your teen's academic progress and attendance at ParentVue.
Safety
- Ask your teen if he/she feels safe from bullies and other threats.
- Stay on top of your teen's social contacts.
- Discuss peer pressure and social isolation.
- Feeling pressure from other teens or feeling lonely at school can lead to skipping or missing school.
- Encourage meaningful after school activities, including sports and clubs.
- If your teen is feeling unsafe, losing interest and/or missing school, get help from school staff (Teacher, Counselor, Nurse, etc.).
Heading toward graduation
- Talk about why a high school diploma is important to your teen's future.
- Make it clear that missing school is unacceptable.
- Contact the school counselors and teachers if you think your teen may be falling behind academically, missing school more than 2 days per month, or seems to be losing interest in school to help your teen stay on track for graduation.