homeschool encouragement--whiny kids

[raindrops]

Feeling kind of stuck.  Homeschooling is working academically, but the whining/ complaining/ arguing makes me want to be "done".  

[MaryMak07]

Yes!!! We are in our first year (K) and the academics (which isn't too much, HWOT, AAR, Right Start and good read Alouds) are going GREAT!

 

For me, by far, the hardest part is the rest of the day/dealing with behavior issues

[Outdoorsy Type]

I hear you. I'm pretty sure in our case it's a case of February, illness, and bad weather. I've been making an effort to plan something fun out of the house every week, but someone will complain about that. It's so frustrating.

[carriede]

I was just taking with DH about this. No advice, just commiseration. :/

[EMS83]

I'm a Mommy grindstone.  Thinking this helps me cope.

[Garga]

How old are the kids?

 

Honestly, it took until a few months into 6th grade for my boys to stop whining. My oldest hit 6th and stopped, while my youngest was still whining. And a couple of months into 6th, the youngest stopped whining, too.

 

It's like until then they thought that if they whined enough I'd say, "Oh, you guys are right! Let's just play video games all day and quit this silly school stuff forever!"

 

It took until 6th for them to give up. Meanwhile, I did try to keep a no-nonsense attitude about school. Others might have better advice than me, because my advice is to just wait. (Unless your kids are past 6th grade, and then I don't know what to tell you.)

[Miss Tick]

I have a low whine tolerance. I would occasionally explain, "the winning sound of your voice makes me disproportionately angry. It also means i can in no way acquiesce to your demands because i might then accidentally teach you that whining works. So by whining you are ensuring that i can nut give you what you want, AND you are making me angry. Nobody is winning here. Go take a nap until i get over this."

 

Moderate success.

GL!

[raindrops]

Thanks for the commiseration.  Maybe I can make it, one day at a time, until they're in 6th grade.  =)  One's in fourth, and the other's in first.  The fourth grader has the more challenging, strong-willed personality.  I'm just tired, and don't like to fight.  I'm pretty persistent and determined though.

[EMS83]

I do pull the "you're forcing me to say no" line a good bit.

 

ETA: when they whine to get things they want.  If they're whining to get out of things they don't want, I'll either a) warn and then discipline the whining, or b) give a time out/cool down and then back at it.  It sort of depends on who is whining and why and if I think it's a legitimate wall they're hitting for some reason.  

 

When they were ALL whining about doing an hour of seat work like the other option was to lay around the house all day eating chips and playing games, I set up two 8-hour school days in our home based on a schedule from an elementary school in CA.  Pink slips, behavior cards, bus ride, the whole nine, Mrs. Teacher, the whole nine.  Now only the little one whines, because his math is legitimately challenging him.  ;)  I might be a stubborn mule, though.

Edited February 23, 2017 by CES2005

[lllll]

nm

Edited March 2, 2017 by --Kathy--

[Guest]

Ah, well it is February (although my kids are equal opportunity whiners- they know no seasonal limitations), but on the bright side the month is almost over and then the end of the school year is in sight for some people!! So, have faith. This too shall pass. 

 

I bribed  positively reinforced my two youngest with LEGO minis and M&M's this week- if they didn't complain and did school without whining, they each got a LEGO mini or some M&M's at the end. Sometimes you have to do what you have to do to make it through with your sanity. :)