"The government is a child that has found their parents credit card, and spends knowing that they never have to reconcile the bill with their own money"-Shannon Churchill
[QUOTE=jimnyc;845580I won't claim to be some great parent that sits with him for hours and what not. But I DO make sure things are timely, he does his homework, goes to a good school, gets makeup when out... all the correct things. He took it and is running with it so far. [/QUOTE]
This is basically what parents need to do. You encourage your kids to get things done and do them in the correct manner. Guidance and participation are the majority of the battle.
It's not just about "being smart." I've seen a lot of smart kids underachieve because they are not properly engaged. Parental guidance is essential.