Do you accept second-rate school performances from your kids? If you have expected less than the best in the past, now's the perfect time to change. As school gets under way, make this your motto: Don't settle for the mediocre. There are many reasons why some parents might be accepting less from their kids academically:

•They could fear the negative ramifications of stress and don't want to appear pushy.

• They feel their kids are so over-scheduled with extracurricular activities that they don't have time to devote to schoolwork.

• They've let TV dominate the home, so homework happens hurriedly or as an afterthought.

• Or maybe they're settling for less because they're simply too busy to show interest.

This fall, consider getting more involved in your kids' education and encourage--yes, even push--your kids to work to their potential. Why this suggestion for a more assertive approach to academics? It's not so kids will get into the best colleges or because they need good grades to get good jobs. It's because kids who perform at their intellectual peak gain satisfaction from mental exercise and acquiring knowledge. Kids can learn to dig in, spend a little extra time, get help when needed, and then, when they grasp that new concept or make sense out of a new piece of information, they'll feel competent and excited because they figured it out.