As a parent you want your child to be successful, and realizing that he may be an underachiever is not something for you to be embarrassed about. No one is perfect, and that goes for your child. Realizing there is a problem and taking the necessary steps to help are the first things you need to do. Try to find out the reason for your child not working to the best of his abilities. Are there problems at school that you are not aware of? Is there a difficulty with a teacher? Does your child have interests other than learning?

The first step is to speak with the teacher of the subject your child is having a problem with. Listen to what he or she has to say. Is your child disruptive in class? Is he just not paying attention because he thinks the class is dull or boring? Or is something else going on that you need to look closer at? You need to find out if this behavior is new, or if it has been going on for a while.

If your child is just not paying attention and has his mind on other activities, you need to sit him down and find out exactly what the problem is. Does he get bad grades because the subject doesn't interest him? Find out what he is interested in. Perhaps switching to a different subject will bring those grades up. If he is just slacking off because he thinks he can get away with it, explain that you aren't going to tolerate this. Strict study guidelines will have to be established. Perhaps losing a few privileges until the grades come up might be the way to handle it. Children don't like having their favorite things taken away, and will do anything to prevent it. Some parents will resort to bribery as a way to get their child to study harder. Rewards would be more in line. If there is something in particular he has been wanting, promise to get it for him if he can show that he is making an effort to pull a passing grade. Yelling and threatening doesn't help. You have to be firm and stick to what you say.

If you find that your child is failing in class because he just isn't motivated, you need to find out why. Is there a health issue? Are there problems with someone that you don't know about? Is the peer pressure too much? Schedule a visit with your doctor to rule out anything health related. If your child gets a clean bill of health, you have to search further to discover the problem. Explain that it is his future that you are concerned about. Offer to help in any way you can. See a counselor if you can't make headway. Sometimes a neutral party can gain information that your child is hesitant to share with you. You want the best for your child, and it is your duty as a parent to find a solution to the problem.