I don't know if its the weather or the fact that the end of the school year is coming or my child just has a bug in her bonnet... but she is intolerable lately. We've even gone so far in the last couple weeks as to make a list of rules instead of saying what she can/cannot do over and over. Only a few times have I had to have her write them down. Today is not her day. Everything is a fight with her. I don't think she really knows that the end of the school year is near, so I don't think it is that... She's a 2nd grader. With an attitude to match. Just venting today. Ugh. What do you do with a resistant child? Just wondering. We usually give extra chores, ground from Tv/Computer and only occasionally have to spank...
At that age (assuming she's the same as our oldest) we do take away priveledges. One thing that bugs her is to back up her bed time 15 minutes for every time she misbehaves! We don't do it often...but it does work as a warning! LOL Posting the rules is great - she knows what you expect. If her goal is to get outside and play because the weather's nice...take that away...that sounds like a good "currency". If her goal is to play a video game or watch tv or something...take that away instead.
We take away privilege's: Anything that can be plugged in or take a battery pretty much. Early bedtime is another. Sometimes though it's that they are hungry, just need a nap or need to do some physical activity. If it isn't any of those, or you've tried them, then I start taking the privilege's away.
Well, today she is resistant to any work that doesn't involved me sitting right next to her. Or not. I had her work on her nouns papers she is learning and she only wanted to do one page. I had 2 for her to do. Then when I had to review science with my oldest, she was to be reading her book. Didn't want to. Just simple things. It's probably just one of those days. Normally we 'get along'. I'm rethinking next year's curriculum though. I need more hands on activities for her. The beginning of this year all she loved doing was workbooks, reading 'school books' (she loves chapter books though), stuff like that. Now she doesn't want to do any of it. So next year will be different. I think we're all just feeling the last days creeping up and we want to be done, kwim?
try bribes occasionally. boy my 2 first graders got in gear to get a big gold star sticker yesterday....... after doing 3 pages of work! Sometimes its a sticker, a dum dum sucker, a starburst, little paper award etc......games on the computer work too. Chuck E. Cheese has reward charts too you can print them out, they get 10 free tokens for 2 weeks of goals. Or use a sticker chart with a prize at the end of the week like time at the park, ice cream at baskin robins or what ever is special. Can you do some school work outsie? Can you change things around a little to break up the school day?
I am thinking if she's not always that way, maybe she's not feeling well. She might be hungry and didn't get enough sleep. Sometimes on a raininy, I get moody for no reason! If they're not in the mood for studying at the moment, reading books to them help or even listen to an audio books or working on the computer. best of luck
how much longer til your schooling is over? could you do light work... go on walking trips? field trips?
I think its partly time of year, my kids get spring fever and get on one another every year this time! anothe rweek and it will be fun stuff! Artsy did you say how old she is? Cause my 9 yr old loves me sitting right there whiel he works and encouraging him, my dd does her stuff on her own for the most part but has to be told to get back to it, and then she does good work for the time spent.
She'll be 8 this summer. I think I just need to do some different things. She is perfectly healthy, always fed (like a baby, every 2 hours she seems to be hungry lol). It was just a test of wills I think. She is just fine now. I sent her to clean her room. Bedlame ensued. I swatted her, walked away and ignored her. She had it straightened in 15 mins. I think she just needed me to be in charge. I don't know. Every day is a new experience with her. She is one who wants me to sit next to her all the time. She gets distracted when I move away. It's hard when I have to go instruct my older child. I can't have her sit next to us while we instruct because then she just sits and listens! ha We finish up the end of May. I think we could do lighter work, but she really has some things to catch up on. I may just make it all lighter and extend into the summer for her. Maybe a couple hours a week to get her ready for 3rd grade. We'll figure it out.
ya, sometimes it jus ttakes something different to spur my guy one too, He is also the one who wants to be right there, and I have often stopped school, which is why I did summer school, early because the kids needed a break now, kind of thing.
artsygirl, The reason I asked what she was resistant to is because...sometimes the kids get too much of something and for lack of a better turn start to rebel or get resistant to doing the simple things that we want. Sometimes its not the work but...the style of work. I know some of you will baulk and some will laugh but...ya know what sometimes it is ok to have an all day game day. There are tons of educational games out there. Some have bigger price tags than others but...I mean really look at the big picture of monopoly. I would offer the suggestion to toss school out tomorrow and say we are going to try something today and if you like it then we can schedule it in for those times that we get our work done. We are having game day! Your kids will typically look at you as though you've lost your mind but...it's ok you'll get over it. lol The fact that she has to sit right next to you and gets distracted when she isn't leads me to believe that her "love language" is probably quality time and her tank isn't quite full. Try doing something unschool related with just her and see if that helps. I know the first thought it to take away all the perks but...she's only 8 and at 8 they really want to please you so...try something a little different. Our whole November topic is talking about avoiding resistance in our children. We talk about units, games, crafty things, nature walks, etc...to bring some life to what can be a very boring thing....school! bleah! lol HTH
Thanks for mentioning this. I realized tonight that maybe she just needed some time with me without school involved. We sat down tonight, played a game on the computer together and then played a board game with the family. I think it helped. We just don't do that often enough, you know how time just speeds by...
artsygirl, is your daughter the only child in the home? Ems is our only child in the house and I often have to change the pace or style of our work so she also gets the play and love time she needs. :love: Not that she doesn't get it throughout the day, but being mom and teacher, things can get hectic and I have to do this or that while she plays or studies alone. We like to make little easy cloths pin dolls and have them act out her lessons. We decorate them with scrap pieces of cloths and use old beads or buttons and yarn or raffia for hair. She loves this because she gets to play and learn and she isn't doing it alone. Patty
We all have days like that Artsy.....I have no new suggestions, just empathy. You know the love language thing make sooo much sense, but I always forget that and go with punishment first. I am going to try and remember, lol, we have had some pretty yuck days here recently too, and we're nowhere near school holidays!
That is so true! Time does fly by. So some fun stuff together I hope next week is better for her and you.
I think I like the idea myself of taking a day to throw a stick in the compaining thing... we did two main subjects yesterday then kids got to go to movies IF they did it with not complaints and well done! ds9 did his lang arts Test with no "Mom this is too hard" and no "I hate this" comments and I was kinda scared but when I looked he got a high 'B" grade on the list in the SOS grades! Weee!
When my kids get resistant to school work we take a field trip. Well, let me rephrase that. If they are defiant then there's a consequence but when I sense it coming or maybe when it's over. . .I find a change of pace is often just what was needed.
I think it's easy as homeschooling parents to take each aspect of their life and find a way to make it "school worthy"...but sometimes they need refuge! My hubby and I were just talking about this. My kids ar etotally having fun reading - not for school - but for fun. He was thinking I should take a way to amplify what they are reading - do crafts, book reports, etc. I thought "cool" at first, but then I was like "if I make it just like everything else then they won't want to do it". I'd rather them have some educational things that are FUN, outright fun!
