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Parent Report Card for Children
by Linda Berg-Cross, Ph.D.
  
Here's a unique way to open up family communication. The Parent Report Card lets kids grade their parents—on everything from keeping secrets to helping with homework.
 
Available in child and teen versions, the Parent Report Card gives youngsters a structured and acceptable way to express their feelings. It provides the kind of honest feedback that's hard to come by—often illuminating issues that parents don't realize are important. While the child is filling out the Report Card, many parents choose to grade themselves as well and later compare marks. This process often shows how the parent's perceptions can differ from those of the child.

The Parent Report Card for children (ages 7 through 12) includes 25 items; the teen version (ages 13 through 17) includes 28. Both provide space for parents and children to add items of their own. And both come with instructions to the parent, explaining how to use the Report Card, and how to receive feedback.

Quick, economical, and always interesting and enlightening, the Parent Report Card is useful in parenting classes, individual therapy, or family therapy. It's an excellent way to open up dialogue between parents and kids.