Raising a teenager? Here’s some advice on teens and school from the book “How to Survive Your Teenager” (Hundreds of Heads Books, www.hundredsofheads.com, $13.95), straight from people who’ve done it:

“They say you have to pick your battles with kids, and I think insisting they do well in school at practically any cost is one of those battles worth fighting. You have to insist on excellence: You have to make your kids understand that their entire future hinges on excelling in school. Take no excuses. There’s too much at stake to let them goof off through high school.”

—Brittany Mellor, Zelienople, Pa., mother of one daughter, 14

“All through middle school, my daughter had straight A’s. Education is very important in our family, and we frequently talk about how important it is to do well in school. I think my daughter interpreted these speeches to mean we expected her to get perfect grades every semester. As soon as she started high school, I noticed she was getting really stressed out. I took her aside and made it very clear that getting straight A’s wasn’t our expectation; doing her best was. She calmed down visibly once she heard this, which taught me that sometimes it’s important to state what seems obvious.”

—Anonymous, Cleveland, Ohio, mother of two daughters, 14 and 11

“My daughter had a problem relating to a teacher in school. I took a proactive approach and met with them separately and resolved the matter without any damage. You need to be that involved and head off problems before they become massive.”

—S.S., Passaic, N.J., parent to four kids ages 23-40

“Organization is a huge issue for 13-year-olds, so teach them to use a planner. They put off school projects until the last minute, and they never bring copies of their game schedules with them. Of course, then they will call, saying, ‘You need to pick me up now!’”

—Heidi Brown, Pipe Creek, Texas, mother to two daughters, 13 and 4, and one son, 7

“I separated my oldest boys in school because of competition. My oldest is a star: A real overachiever, studied a lot, played high school baseball. My middle is very bright, but not as motivated academically, and was always looking to get attention, cheating on exams, skipping class. He was better off in private school where he didn’t have to walk through the school corridors being reminded by teachers and school administrators that he looks just like his brother. We found outlets other than sports for him. He’s a phenomenal photographer and still really enjoys that.”

—Anonymous, San Francisco, Calif., parent to two boys, 27 and 24, and one girl, 18

Hundreds of Heads Books’ survival guides offer the wisdom of the masses by assembling the experiences and advice of hundreds of people who have gone through life’s biggest challenges and have insight to share.