If there is one thing I can do - it is parent a third grader. I've been down this road before. I've had two 8 year olds before the one I have now and I have been around the block a few times. Third grade is a piece of cake.
Last week it occurred to me that Abe had been bringing home way more homework than he had before Christmas. Mostly math. So I asked him why he had math homework in 2009 and not so much in 2008. What changed? He told me went to the bathroom during math and didn't have enough time to finish his work sheet and therefore had to finish it at home.
The next day he had math homework. Again, I asked him why he was bringing home math sheets and he said he didn't have time in class to finish it. I knew he understood it because he was getting 100% on his tests. Did he go the bathroom again? He couldn't remember. hmm.....
I called out the big guns - I called his teacher. This was traumatic for him. I'm not sure why but he was not so happy with me.
Mrs. H says that Abe has been having trouble focusing since the Christmas break. In addition he wants to write everything out in cursive. So 10 problems of writing 2,093 out in word form takes the little guys f o r e v e r because each letter has to be perfect and if it's not he erases and starts over. (OH NO! Mr. Bill! Not the eraser!) Then there is a tear in the paper.....
We decided that we would work on the issue at home. We told Abe if he could go five nights without homework their would be a treat. An I-pod touch? he asked. Actually, a blizzard from DQ.
I, knowing the perfectionist that he is and me being the perfectionist that I am, did not want to compound any more stress on the little guy. It did not have to be five nights in a row and, of course, regular homework did not count. Only the work that there had been plenty of time in class to finish was a part of the deal.
Several evenings passed. No homework. By Friday I commented on what a good job he had been doing getting his work all done at school. He had been finishing at school, right?
He spilled the beans. He hadn't gotten his work FINISHED at school - he just hadn't brought it home. Just like our deal.
He didn't bring home any math sheets because the unfinished math sheets were at school. IN HIS DESK!
PLAN B!!!!!
4 comments:
Oh, shoot. That's no good - but kinda funny. Sorry, but true.
I thought that maybe I could drop him off at your house tomorrow at 8:00....
We don't really start school until 9! But if you do, bring those fancy ear things...for me!
I think this is SO FUNNY! Now that you mentioned cursive, I laughed again, because Abe has even been using cursive writing in his piano homework books! I just love your little guy to pieces!
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