Your child is in the ninth grade.  They're just old enough to believe they are grown but still young enough to have a Christmas list.  For them, high school is a fashion show and the perfect place to entertain the opposite sex.  Overall, their minds are everywhere but on school and their futures are looming far closer than they know.  It seems especially true in the black community where our kids are dropping out or flunking out at alarming rates.  Something has to be done in order to stem their focus to their futures - to college.

You'd be surprised at how simple it is to start this mental paradigm shift for your teen.  It starts with the mail.  Think about it. When you were a kid, what was the one thing that your parents received daily that you wanted but never received? Mail! For kids and teens alike, receiving mail signifies that they are important and are growing up.  So, use the postal service to your advantage.  Simply begin contacting colleges on your child's behalf, without informing your child, and request information about the academic institutions of interest.  It's a very easy process - a simple call or a visit to the website can have your child receiving correspondence from schools in no time.  

You'll notice that upon receiving mail from colleges (especially colleges they like), your child will begin to think more about their future.  Not only will it change their mindset, but it will also begin to boost their confidence because a college showed genuine interest in them.  Something as simple as a letter from a school will open doors for you to have conversations with your child about their future so you can guide them in a positive direction for their future.  

Ninth grade for our children is the time of new beginnings, new schools, new friends, and the beginning of their futures. So help them start their futures off right by placing college in the forefront of their minds.

Written By: Cafe Belle Academics Barista