brownie Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 I just spent half an hour dragging my 11 year old through a math problem that should have been easy. He was disrespectful the entire time and making ridiculous repeated errors because he had given up. Then my 7 year old burst into tears because I wouldn't repeat the rule for the spelling lesson in the middle of the quiz. We've spent 3 weeks working on this word list and I just can't teach him to spell. He can't remember how to spell "ch" despite the fact that he decodes at a 5th grade level. That was all after my bathroom sink started leaking into my basement so by the time we started school it was 10:30, and I had to call a plumber because I can't possibly look at the problem AND teach school. I threatened to drive them all back to public school immediately and I am sitting here crying while they are in their rooms. School is a disaster and it's week 1. Now it's 11:30 and I have 1 kid through 1 subject and a 2nd through 1/2 a subject. Brownie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Kate Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 I'm of no help, but I thought I would bump it for you. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
celticmom Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kim in Appalachia Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 :grouphug: What a hard day! :grouphug: Just a few thoughts. One: There are days that are just like that with homeschooling. There are days that are so bad you just need to shut yourself in your room (or bathroom!) and cry. There are days that are just ok, and then there are days when you get to see it all come together. Two: Learning to spell and to decode are two different things. Some children have a harder time with the spelling. Just keep going over it. Make it a game, keep it light. One day it will click or it will suddenly be easy. Three: When my kids start being that difficult about their school work like your 11 year old is, I put it down and walk away. I make the child do something else. Clean, run laps, do push-ups (jumping jacks were a favorite). Just do something physical. Then move on to another subject. But do come back to the math later. There is something about an 11 year old and math.... And sorry about the plumbing. I hate when mini disaster strikes during the school day. It happens. Think of it like the fire drills at school. I'm sure teachers hate those. :001_smile: And :grouphug: again. Homeschooling is hard, but it can be worth it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
earthyfamily Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 Sometimes it just gets to a point for me that I teach them, am sure they have the resources they need to understand and find the answers on their own, and then tell them they are on their own. Let them know that I've done my job, now it's time for them to do theirs. I suppose it also helps that we have a reward system that requires them to maintain all A's and high B's in order to participate. We also have a block scheduling system to keep them on task, and if they don't finish when the timer beeps, then it's homework. I realize though that this type of structure is not for everyone...just trying to offer up some ideas and suggestions of what works for us. I am however completely useless when it comes to the plumbing thing. Sorry. Hope your day gets better. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heliconian Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 When my 11 year old gets rude during lessons, I shame him - something along the lines of "I hope you would never speak to (any other adult) the way you just spoke to me." This, and the follow up of "Then why would you speak to me like that?" is usually enough to tone it down for a while. But I feel your despair. I was there on Monday. Monday produced maybe an hour's worth of work over the course of six hours, and resulted in the children being banished from my presence while I watered the garden. Their foolish disregard of their banishment in favor of nagging me about video games was the final straw, drawing a strong response from the garden hose and a change of clothes for everyone. You are not alone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2_girls_mommy Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 We have had those days. And after thinking dd8 will never get the rule we are working on and spending an hour of frustration on both of our parts to get it, the next day she has it :) Oh, yes, I am talking about yesterday and today btw :) She got only 2 subjects done for the day (spelling and English) because English took her so long. She could not get it. She did her math at night before bed. Today, she has another lesson on the same topic as yesterday and she did just fine... It just takes her longer to get a new concept and the other subjects were better to not be attempted on the same day anyway. Today a full day resumed as usual. (spelling is usually pretty hard for this dd too, but this year she is doing much better.) Hope your next day is better too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myfunnybunch Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 I just spent half an hour dragging my 11 year old through a math problem that should have been easy. He was disrespectful the entire time and making ridiculous repeated errors because he had given up. Then my 7 year old burst into tears because I wouldn't repeat the rule for the spelling lesson in the middle of the quiz. We've spent 3 weeks working on this word list and I just can't teach him to spell. He can't remember how to spell "ch" despite the fact that he decodes at a 5th grade level. That was all after my bathroom sink started leaking into my basement so by the time we started school it was 10:30, and I had to call a plumber because I can't possibly look at the problem AND teach school. I threatened to drive them all back to public school immediately and I am sitting here crying while they are in their rooms. School is a disaster and it's week 1. Now it's 11:30 and I have 1 kid through 1 subject and a 2nd through 1/2 a subject. :grouphug: Deep breath. :grouphug: Week 1 is hard because you're not in your routine yet. Everyone is still juggling academics and adjusting to the routine. It will come. :grouphug: Around 11, all three of my children who have been 11 (current and former 11 y.o.'s) lost their brains for a while. It was a little like someone stuck a fork in there and scrambled. When they got stuck, I learned through trial and error that they needed a breather, preferably with some physical activity. When my ds11 gets like this, I now give him a choice: I don't want to fuss together about math. You can go work (rake leaves, sweep the driveway, etc.) or you can wait until you're ready to ask me for help politely and let me help you. Then....I go away. Usually he gets himself unstuck and lets me help. :grouphug: Your 7 y.o. is fine. Just remind yourself that decoding and spelling and repeating a spelling rule are different skills, and they don't always develop in sync at this age. It takes time. If it's just today, try again tomorrow. If it's ongoing, and he's really not getting it, take a break from spelling and get back to it mid-year once your routine is etablished. And :grouphug::grouphug::grouphug: Plumbing and such is just a pain to deal with anyway, and having to deal with it the first week of school just triples the pain in the neck factor. Did the plumber make it out and get that settled for you yet? I'm so sorry you're having to deal with that. Cat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassy Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 :grouphug: That sounds like the kind of day when I just take a deep breath and think "OK, I give up". Then I just do my best to survive. Later, when things are calmer I sit for a while and reflect on ways that I might handle things and people better if and when a similar situation comes up again. And course, these situations always do come up, again and again. It's just so very frustrating for you that this had to happen this week when you're trying to get off to a good start. Almost every week of my three years homeschooling so far I've started off each week vowing to myself that this week I'm going to do it so much better :tongue_smilie:. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samiam Posted August 31, 2012 Share Posted August 31, 2012 Just this: You've got to have the bad days to appreciate the good days. Sometimes you've got to hike out the valley to really appreciate to view at the top....if you are always at the top, the view becomes unappreciated because you see it every day. Keep hiking, you'll have your day at the top, you'll fall back into the valley, hike to the top again....and so is the journey of life :)! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brownie Posted September 1, 2012 Author Share Posted September 1, 2012 Thanks guys. DS11 turned out to have a brain of complete mush yesterday. He later left the bunny cage wide open after feeding him. DS7 was tired...he cried about every little thing the rest of the day so spelling wasn't the only issue. We just tanked school for the 7 yrs old bc every time I mentioned it he burst into tears. He has now been asleep for 11.5hrs and still going. The bright spot was that ds9 took over being patient with ds7 and was wonderful with him while I was ready to tear my hair out. Days like that make me wonder if I'm doing more harm than good to our family by homeschooling. I was SO frustrated with them. My sanity is tenuous right now. I hope next week goes better. Brownie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amo_mea_filiis. Posted September 1, 2012 Share Posted September 1, 2012 My dd can read almost anything put in front of her; a fat manga in an hour, the twilight series in a few days, 20,000 leagues under the sea in a week, evolution of calpurnia tate in a day. She can't spell to save her life! Just the other day i told her that one missing e on the end of a word would fail the assignment. It's good he's getting some sleep. Do they get enough most of the time? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brownie Posted September 2, 2012 Author Share Posted September 2, 2012 Well they usually sleep as long as they'll sleep. I rarely wake them but they are not big sleepers. However, Thursday night was a late night and they did not sleep in. I did not realize the impact it had on ds7 until the spelling quiz! Brownie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted September 2, 2012 Share Posted September 2, 2012 You are not alone. I work on the Raising a Thinking Child methods, and when he won't "think", I give extra problems. That gets his attention. I sure feel mean doing it, but it works. If he every says I'm being mean, I'll tell him that if he only sits up and flies right when I'm mean, he has just conditioned me to be mean. I tell him the ball is in his court. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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