Nothing has worked.
Threats? He just stares at you if you threaten him!
Anger? He'll scramble for his books and on his way back from the room (to the study area) he will end up playing with his football, while you wonder where he is
Cajole? He'll cajole you right back with a "Can I do it later? Pleeeeeaaassseeee?"
Resignation? He will resign too and completely FORGET that he has to do it!
Home Work is ALWAYS the last thing on his mind.
Despite the 6 hours he gets after getting back from school and before getting into bed, he won't spare 20 - 30 minutes for an activity that he is aware he needs to get serious about, but won't just because it doesn't strike him as important...yes, inspite of the "incomplete work" remarks and occasional stinker his class teacher sends across.
Sometimes he will awaken to the mighty HW at 9 pm. Imagine if you will my consternation when I see 2 Maths sums, a few Qs&As to be learned in Science, and an essay writing thrown in (on good days mind you! The bad days will have Hindi AND Marathi work thrown in for good measure too!!!), and the ticking clock showing me exactly 15 minutes to wrap it all before he settles (almost carelessly) into a deep state of restful slumber, before another battle ensues the next morning!
"Why didn't you tell me you had so much HW?" I scream.
"I didn't know..." he will say in his smallest, meekest voice, making me sound like the quintessential evil witch who screeches and scares poor little children.
"How come you didn't know? Didn't you note it down from the blackboard?"
"We have a green board, not black..."
I do feel it pointless to tear my hair out at this juncture. All I can do is rush against time, get him to complete what he can and wake him early next morning to do the rest. Needless to say, I hardly ever succeed.
His diligence begins AFTER he has "seen" the HW... Until then, he will throw tantrums, play, or worse, procrastinate.
Yes...I've been told that this could be a phase and he will outgrow it. But I am afraid that he will not learn the value of the opportune moment (like doing his HW before the nth hour or doing it at all) and will stumble his way through academia and life, the biggest test of them all.
Today was no different.
Even as I struggled to get him to open his books and "at least tell me what you have to do today!" an imminent movement has me de-cluttering the house with a vigour that was infectious enough to get the daughter involved as well. She had just crossed the BIG hurdle in any child's schooling life - THE final exam and was eager to help me.
I asked her to start with her room and in 20 minutes, she found this incredible piece of paper hidden amongst her brother's Transformers, bullets of a gun long lost, scraps of impromptu notes and bits of half-eaten pencils...
She shoved it in his face as he lay on the carpet playing with another red plastic man-hero which obviously cost me a bomb and said, "Did you write this? And you only don't follow it!"
After a shouting match that went something like "You stupid...", "You wrote it you stupid...", "Give it to me idiot..." - you get the picture Im sure - for about 5 minutes, he finally snatched the sheet, read it and looked sheepishly at me, "I think I should do my home work. How much time do I have?"
There is something about wide, innocent eyes that can do anyone in. I am a sucker, I admit!
BUT this paper I've decided is precious, precious, precious. I am considering making copies, laminating them and pasting them all over the house.
Threats? He just stares at you if you threaten him!
Anger? He'll scramble for his books and on his way back from the room (to the study area) he will end up playing with his football, while you wonder where he is
Cajole? He'll cajole you right back with a "Can I do it later? Pleeeeeaaassseeee?"
Resignation? He will resign too and completely FORGET that he has to do it!
Home Work is ALWAYS the last thing on his mind.
Despite the 6 hours he gets after getting back from school and before getting into bed, he won't spare 20 - 30 minutes for an activity that he is aware he needs to get serious about, but won't just because it doesn't strike him as important...yes, inspite of the "incomplete work" remarks and occasional stinker his class teacher sends across.
Sometimes he will awaken to the mighty HW at 9 pm. Imagine if you will my consternation when I see 2 Maths sums, a few Qs&As to be learned in Science, and an essay writing thrown in (on good days mind you! The bad days will have Hindi AND Marathi work thrown in for good measure too!!!), and the ticking clock showing me exactly 15 minutes to wrap it all before he settles (almost carelessly) into a deep state of restful slumber, before another battle ensues the next morning!
"Why didn't you tell me you had so much HW?" I scream.
"I didn't know..." he will say in his smallest, meekest voice, making me sound like the quintessential evil witch who screeches and scares poor little children.
"How come you didn't know? Didn't you note it down from the blackboard?"
"We have a green board, not black..."
I do feel it pointless to tear my hair out at this juncture. All I can do is rush against time, get him to complete what he can and wake him early next morning to do the rest. Needless to say, I hardly ever succeed.
His diligence begins AFTER he has "seen" the HW... Until then, he will throw tantrums, play, or worse, procrastinate.
Yes...I've been told that this could be a phase and he will outgrow it. But I am afraid that he will not learn the value of the opportune moment (like doing his HW before the nth hour or doing it at all) and will stumble his way through academia and life, the biggest test of them all.
Today was no different.
Even as I struggled to get him to open his books and "at least tell me what you have to do today!" an imminent movement has me de-cluttering the house with a vigour that was infectious enough to get the daughter involved as well. She had just crossed the BIG hurdle in any child's schooling life - THE final exam and was eager to help me.
I asked her to start with her room and in 20 minutes, she found this incredible piece of paper hidden amongst her brother's Transformers, bullets of a gun long lost, scraps of impromptu notes and bits of half-eaten pencils...
She shoved it in his face as he lay on the carpet playing with another red plastic man-hero which obviously cost me a bomb and said, "Did you write this? And you only don't follow it!"
After a shouting match that went something like "You stupid...", "You wrote it you stupid...", "Give it to me idiot..." - you get the picture Im sure - for about 5 minutes, he finally snatched the sheet, read it and looked sheepishly at me, "I think I should do my home work. How much time do I have?"
There is something about wide, innocent eyes that can do anyone in. I am a sucker, I admit!
BUT this paper I've decided is precious, precious, precious. I am considering making copies, laminating them and pasting them all over the house.
2 comments:
i think it's in our genes to make the same kind of agreements and then tear them apart. :P (true story.)
sorry to disturb, but check it out-
My new post(IMP!)
Post a Comment