false certainties

As a fellow father of teenagers, I agree and want to thank you for introducing me to this phrase. I didn't have a simple phrase for "doesn't care about school, thinks he will be a millionaire by age 20."

One unfortunate aspect I've found is that (n=1) a grounding involving taking away phone time besides one hour in the evening until grades improve doesn't provide all that much motivation to improve grades. An allowed hour because complete social isolation is not a helpful punishment.

It does, however, greatly improve mood and ability to focus and think through problems. I had the same false certainties as a teenager - that's a failure on us (the parents), and goes beyond smartphones, but grades are important.

'Grades are important' is not something I ever thought I would say, but as an old person I understand now... It's not the grade itself, it's what the grade represents - foresight, seeing the bigger picture, and effort and commitment to something.