Keeping track & Consequences...

[Mommyfaithe]

So, my little guys...they started homeschooling in the midst of a very chaotic period in our family's life. We all ( meaning me, my older kids and dh) were all on auto pilot and these 2 youngest have developed some very poor school habits.

 

I am determined to turn that around....and they are taking it all very personally! Lol!

 

Also, because of my illness, I have become organizationally challenged...which I am determined to overcome!

 

So, anyway...I need a great way to keep track of assignments and chores for these boys. They spend a whole lot of time wasting time. They spend a whole lot of time NOT doing what they are supposed to be doing... They need a way to see their progress...a chart or a poster...something. I am sort of at my wits end! They have NO concept of time at all!

 

I have always been a shoot from the hip, loosie goosie homeschooler but that worked for my older kids who were focused and self inspired learners. These guys are only inspired by Lego, food and TV.

 

Mommy is back in town and I need some real help in getting this together! I promise to post results...even if they fail!

 

Thanks,

faithe

[SilverMoon]

How old are they?

 

My younger students are 3rd and 5th graders this year. They have a weekly plan sheet from donnayoung.org in the front of a binder that holds all their loose pages for the week. They help me fill in the planner for the coming week on Saturday or Sunday and we talk about the assignments as we fill in the week. They know exactly what's expected of them in each subject, and they have more ownership of it when they feel like they helped make the plan.

 

eta: They draw a pencil line through completed assignments, so they do get a good visual of where they are and how much is left.

[mom2boys030507]

For all of my boys 1st, 3rd, and 5th, I create weekly assignment sheets from donnayoung.org. This allows them to see what they need to do each day.  The boys also use timers for many things. For math, they typically set their timers for 20 min for the workbook. If they are not done in 20 min then it is homework. My 1st grader is still learning this and I do sit with him most of the time. But, if I give him 10 min to do his grammar he is more likely to get done because he wants to beat the timer going off. They also set their timers for computer based activities like Quarter Mile Math and Khan Academy. For us timers have been great for the days when they are less focused. They understand that they have to do everything on their assignment sheet and that if they waste time during school then they will loose freetime finishing up their school work.

[Mommyfaithe]

The boys are 9&11. Timers do not phase them. Lists do not phase them! I am thinking I may have to pull out the big guns and just leave them behind with grandpa while the rest of us go out to the park, movie, for ice cream etc. until they learn I mean what I say. Sigh.

[acabrera0607]

Oh my this sounds just like my son last year when I pulled him out of K in PS. I know his teacher in PS didn't help because she openly admitted to not really staying on them about getting their work (aka centers) done. In other words my son just sat at a center and was expected at age 5 to just do the work and pace himself without assistance....if he didn't do it there was no consequence at school and the other centers he was suppose to do just would never get done....I was so frustrated and became even more frustrated when he tried the same at attitude when we started homeschooling. 

 

He would literally sit for hours in front of his work doing nothing because he had learned in school that if he did that it was okay and eventually it would be over. Last year I think I tried everything including: 

1. Charts--worked for about a day or two but then he could care less

2. Instant rewards (aka dollar store or as he likes to call it the toy store at the end of a successful no wasted time day)-- sometimes this worked sometimes it didn't and I believe in rewarding kids but I felt like I was bribing him to do school and that was a habit I didn't want to enforce

3. Not getting to go somewhere with the family (he would stay with my mom)-- when we would go he would get upset he didn't go and he would do okay the next day but we found if there wasn't something special that day he didn't care to do the work and we tried keeping it a surprise but then he just gave up totally never knowing if we were going or not 

4. No TV, computer, tablet--once again he would get upset but within a day or two back to normal time wasting behavior

5. (This is the one I found worked best) Sit until it's done even if that meant all day long (I was not working last year)--After a few days of sitting at the table till bedtime realizing that he was NOT getting up until the work was completed (even if that mean 10 at night) he finally started straightening up...we still have some bad days but less than last year 

 

We haven't gotten our official curriculum this year yet but he helped pick it out (I really did but letting him have input on what he liked gave him ownership of it) and he seems super excited. We have been reviewing and reading and doing some math since we don't have our actual curriculum yet and we have had days where I wanted to pull my hair out, but on that note he does keep asking when his stuff will be here so I am hoping that is the problem. And, on top of that, the meltdowns/time wasting seem to disappear much quicker than last year  so I see progress at least. 

 

I know it is frustrating because you sit there with them thinking if you would just get it done we could be done in no time but since you refuse to do it we are going to spend double or triple the time on this.

 

I hope you find something that helps and gets them on track soon 

Best wishes 

[abba12]

My sister took this attitude after being pulled out of school the second time.

 

Mum would have her sit at the dining table until it was done. Not just for the morning, then finally released, but right through the afternoon, evening, and even up until bedtime if need be. Nothing got done until the work was finished, no play, no TV, and if she wasn't finished in the afternoon when the TV came on she would be sent off to work on the desk in her room so she couldn't watch it. She would be served dinner at the desk in her room. I know it sounds kinda harsh, but it only happened a few times before she got the idea, and within a few months she was doing work independently in the mornings so she could finish up early. She would have been about 10 at the time.

[acabrera0607]

Abba12 

That is exactly what I was saying worked so well with my ds last year...everything else seemed to bother him a little but no long term effects...when I made him sit there all day if necessary until it was done he started straightening up and has done better since. 

[houseofkids&pets]

I just used the "sit there until the work is done!!" method yesterday and it worked. :hurray:

 

I had tried loss of computer, video games, etc., and nothing seemed to be effective in the long term. 

 

Can't wait to see what happens on Monday :laugh: !

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Mommyfaithe]

Abba12

That is exactly what I was saying worked so well with my ds last year...everything else seemed to bother him a little but no long term effects...when I made him sit there all day if necessary until it was done he started straightening up and has done better since.

I did this with one of my older sons....and he just did not flipping care!! I must have the most passive aggressive kids in the world. That kid sat there from morning to night for weeks!! I finally called uncle, and ignored him completely because I was so pissed! He was older than these 2, so, I made him get a job!

 

I am having heart attacks over the fact that these 2 might be his little clones!

 

Ok, Monday, we sit! This weekend, since they did not finish their weeks work, I cancelled all their weekend activities....and told them they need to finish their assignments as homework. Until then no video games, no snacks( extra beyond meals) no tv. Let's see how that works.

[houseofkids&pets]

I am hoping the sit there method continues to work for us. I wanted to add that I let ds know that he had to sit until the work was done. If he didn't finish by bedtime, it would be waiting for him in the morning!

[MerryAtHope]

Workboxes really helped add structure here. I'd focus more on encouragement and training. They'll get there, they just aren't used to the change. Let them earn the freedom to do the things they want to by getting their work done.  Hang in there! Merry :-)

[My3girls]

My 2 youngest have learned pretty quickly that I'm not going away like their ps teachers did, and I don't accept empty papers or wrong answers. They are presently getting very frustrated with math because we have moved from review to new concepts. They immediately say I don't know and it's too hard so now they are learning that fits or crying don't fly, either. This is our first year, and it's quite the adjustment for all of us. Firmness and consistency typically wins. I give my older a detailed list of to-dos with suggested times every morning. I have to check in on her every so often to be sure she is staying on track, but for the most part, she does alright with this set up.