Dealing with Parents.
Parent's reactions to your interest in the JEHP program can range from seemingly pushing you into it without a choice to trying to hold you back, and the more requested range of mediums. This isn't their decision; it's yours. But it will be much more difficult for you to get through this without them also in the right mindset.
Overeager Parents You may already be signed up for this program because of your parents. You may be feeling like your parents are always pushing you to do your academic best – at the expense of your friends and pace of growing up. Sometimes parents will do that. Just take a breath and remember that they're doing it because they want you to have a better education than they had for themselves. So how else can you react in a situation like this?
Research the program before you decide you don't like it. I was determined not to go to my mom's college because she wanted me to until one of my friend's suggested it. There is no reason to start an argument if you find out later you agree with them. If you honestly want to stay at your high school full time, then remind your parents that many JEHP students miss out on social milestone events like prom and homecoming and also usually have exclude themselves from band, clubs, sports, and other extracurricular activities.
Usually, when a student leaves past lunch for college, they immediately put their high school friendships at stress. Overeager parents my try to wave this away by saying, "You'll leave them in your senior year anyway and you'll have to get used to that." But it's simply not the same. When high schoolers graduate together, they all try collectively to keep it touch. When one leaves, he just leaves. Remind your parent to be sensitive to the fact that this is a big decision on whether you think you want to put your friendships through that.
Clinging Parents On the other hand, you may have parents, like mine, who for whatever reason do not want you to participate in the JEHP at any costs. For some parents, they may simply not understand the program, thinking it will cost them money, and the solution is simple. For others, it may involve a feeling of unexpected and early empty nest or a parent going through a similar program in their childhood and having a bad experience. These will require much more tact that, as a teenager going to college early, you'll need to grow a bit earlier.
Parents will always be comforted when they see you make any decision in life to know that you've researched it fully. Show them the JEHP material; show them this website; show them information on gifted acceleration versus classroom integration. Let your parents know that you mean business. And you should. This is a huge life decision and many students could harm their own development by letting themselves stay in an inhibiting high school environment. Remind a clinging parents above all that if anything goes wrong, you can always go back to being a full time student. If the classes are too hard, if the drive is too much, or if you just get scared, you can go back to being their baby again. As teenagers, we born to backfire. But if we act like unruly teenagers, we're going to be treated like unruly teenagers and get ordered around even if we honestly know what is and is not best for us. In both of these cases, just research the program to the best ability and decide what parts of it you like and what parts of it you don't. The JEHP program is extremely flexible. If you have any questions email the current director. They're always speedy and nice. Tell them how your parents are acting and tell them how that makes you feel about the program. They're here to help you get into the program healthiest for you, whether that be high school or college, and to work with your parents to help you get that.