Who would have thought? Surely not I.
I would never have imagined Isaiah would take to school like a duck to water. Never.
I thought I would be telling him constantly to sit, stay focused, stop playing- something along those lines. He is so focused and surprisingly just cannot seem to get enough. We do some math…just a little to get us going and he is ready to do more pages. We did handwriting, trying out a few letters, and he is ready to do more. (This is going to be his weak area as even holding the pencil correctly poses a problem for him. We have some grips to help him place his hand properly on the pencil so hopefully that will help.) We also did a little reading. He is flying through and ready to do more.
Funny. It just isn’t how I thought it would be with him.
But then it isn’t how I thought it would be with Kiersten either. I didn’t imagine that I would be struggling with her on day 2 of school. Day 2!!!! *Sigh.*
Let me just tell you that math is our stumbling block. Has been from the get go. I am confident my lack of patience and her lack of listening skills are BIG contributing factors. We even switched math programs this year to see if that would help. And here I am on day 2 (oh, the irony) of school telling you it isn’t the program that is the issue.
It is us.
We just don’t seem to mesh well. Our chemistry is bumpy and we butt heads, often.
Knowing this I set out today to make sure I spent more time with her on her math. (More importantly I committed it to the Lord before my feet hit the floor.) I think I expect too much of her and how she learns. She is a quick learner and a smart girl. This tends to make me think she should just get it from reading the book and seeing the examples contained within. Not unlike a college student sometimes has to do. Did I mention she is only 8? My bad.
Long story short even after spending close to 30 minutes doing some examples and trying to make things more concrete for her she still wasn’t wanting to meet me half-way. She even went so far as to say, “I hate school.”
And that my friends was the last straw.
I did mention this was only the second day of school, didn’t I?
I looked over at her and said something to the effect of, “This isn’t going to work. It just isn’t. We are only on the second day of school and this is your attitude? Do you want me to send you away for school? That is my only option if you won’t work with me and at least try.”
I didn’t say it as a means to manipulate or scare her into doing what I wanted her to do. I said it because it was and is the truth. I don’t have it in me to fight her. This isn’t a season I am willing to or can take on a fight simply to fight. There are others to consider and at the end of the day I don’t want school to be why we don’t like one another. It isn’t worth it.
After our candid little talk she did come around to at least trying. I’ll give her that. And would you believe I think I even saw her smile a time or two while she finished up her math?!
We’ll have to wait and see what tomorrow brings because surely it has to be better than today.
How many days are left in the school year? *Sigh.*
Help When Social Media Makes You Compare
5 hours ago
2 comments:
How about this, if you think it's the chemistry: Let Dad start the new lesson every day, when he's settled a bit after arriving home. He can explain and have her do half the page (or all of it), and then the next day, she can finish it if necessary. She'll already know the concept and will have less trouble, or none at all. If you were doing two pages a day, drop down to one. Don't worry about grade-level expectations. Let her go at her own pace--not at a school district's pace. We are teaching children--not a curriculum. Always good to remind ourselves of that.
My husband and Daniel have bad chemistry. I try not to even pair them unless absolutely necessary. It isn't so much a problem now that hubby is gone most of the time.
Daniel needs affirming words and that isn't hubby's love language at all.
Don't stress about the chemistry. Kids have two parents for a reason.
Praise God for your son's enthusiasm!
Ainsley and I struggle as well, granted I am not home schooling her either. We have great chemistry until we try to work on letters or sight words. She knows them but she wants to work with her teacher not me. A knife in my heart. I will be praying that things will get better for the two of you in the school arena.
Post a Comment