Thursday, February 23, 2012

A normal day

I can't believe I have already failed at my idea of blogging every day!  Sheesh that didn't take long!  I really had planned on that, really!  It seems that even when I think I have time to add something there I go messing that plan up.

 I have a few things I want to talk about today.  One being I sometimes feel as a Mom, I bomb.  My eldest son, absolutely detests school.  He just isn't digging it.  I've tried to come up with creative ways to inspire him, star charts, rewards after so many days of doing well, jumping up and down and doing a really crazy mommy celebratory dance.  But the bottom line is, he isn't going to dig it anytime soon, no matter how many antics.  Sure I can get him to participate and be cheery to my face for the week the reward is pending, but the fact is, as soon as that is over so is his drive.  So I have to say I feel like I'm failing him.  I'm not pumping him up enough.  Ok so I get that he may just be that kind of person that isn't going to like it.  NO matter what we try.  But there is this little voice inside of me that keeps blaming it on me, and something I'm missing.  This month alone I've gotten 2 letters from his teacher, and today's was a really obvious sign that she is not at all happy with him.  His desk is a disaster, and he is not doing his work.  He's "forgetting" it at school, and not completing his assignments.  Or he's just not handing them in at all.  He's 9, and in the 4th grade, so I am not sure how he's going to fair for the next 8 years if I don't come up with something!

I sat him down to talk with him today, and as I was talking I literally saw the words flying past his ears.  Just not one word soaked in.  I looked at him, and realized I can't possibly make another weekly reward, or possibly make another star chart.  Clearly that's not helping.  I just want him to put effort in, without bribery.  This is where I feel as though I have failed him.  Had I not bribed him in the first place, and simply told him that he has to do better in order to pass the grade, maybe he wouldn't be waiting for bells and whistles to be going off in order for him to start doing something.  The really aggravating thing here is that he is smart!  REALLY SMART!  He can read extremely well, and most times when he actually applies himself, he's passing with A's and B's.  So I don't know what the answer is, but today, after I received the letter of dismay from his teacher, I simply told him there will be no prizes, or bribes, you just have to do better.  Yes, I got a blank stare for more then a minute, but I just stared back, and stood my ground.  He did however finish tonight's homework in less then 4 hours, which is normally how long we go each night.  In fact he was done in half an hour.  I'm not sure that I have solved this problem, but I'm pretty sure he is aware that all the prizes he received to date, will be all he receives for a while as far as school work prizes go.  So we shall see.....

That is about all the excitement for today.  Ayden has a play tomorrow, which up until today he was in no way participating in.  But something must have changed since then, because he has loudly proclaimed he is in a play tomorrow, and he has said his line several times, each time with growing excitement.  I'm excited for him! 

Annelyse is hanging with her Dad tonight, her favorite guy in all the land.  She loves and adores him, and it's very endearing.  He's a very rough around the edges kind of guy, but when she is near him, he is as soft as silk!  It's the sweetest thing ever!!

My quote for today: ~ Pretty much all the honest truth telling in the world is done by children. ~ Oliver Wendell Holmes

God Bless!

1 comment:

  1. 4 hours of homework a night??? No wonder he's not liking school- I bet you aren't either! Good luck with him- my oldest isn't such a fan either and is also so very smart. But she is very social- so I just use that as a punishment if she doesn't try at school (no sleep overs, no friends over, no after school dances, etc.) This parenting gig is not the party I sometimes thought it would be, it's actually really hard :0)

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