Hi all,
My stepson is almost 18 now, I've been his stepdad for 12 years and have always had an excellent relationship with him and still have. The difficulty at the moment is he has started a new college course this year after dropping out in the first year of a different course last year.
I have just had a call from his year tutor who has concerns about attendance and performance. I was similarly contacted last year just before Dan dropped out of college.
He is aware of the importance of completing his 3 year course and the fact that if he drops out he won't be accepted back. College has been all his own choice with no pressure from either me or his mum.
I feel the course is too difficult for him and he will not ask for help. I have tried talking to him about college, asked if he needed any help, feedback, advice, anything, but he says he is ok with it all.
His attempts at part time work has been pitiful so far, it seems rather than sort out his immediate future, he is just letting everything slip.
Any ideas please.??

My oldest son, now 26, was the same way....he is now completing the courses he should have completed when he was in college. My suggestion is try and tell him how important the education is, then step back and watch...one of the things we need to do as parents is to sometimes let our children make the mistakes, even when we know what the outcome will be....they need to learn about effort and consequences on their own sometimes.