Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Ogre Mom

So despite our progress in a few areas so far this week (4-digit subtraction is now "easy") I've been turned into the Ogre Mom to try to keep focus and stay on task. Shannon is a quite typical 9-year old in her mind's ability to flit from subject to subject, rarely staying on one task for long. Part of "school" is to teach focus and ability to finish tasks. OK, great. Her distractions are getting more and more elaborate, her sidetracked discussion becomes more and more obvious ploys to get out of doing work. Yet, like myself at that age, being called on it turns to outrage. "I wasn't stalling!!!!" OK, fine, you weren't. It doesn't matter, just get back to work.

Right now she's in full offended tantrum. She stormed off to her room to sulk (at least she brought her workbook with her) and piled things blocking the door so I wouldn't be able to open it. I know this because I could hear the chair and other things being piled on it. The noises continue, because I haven't gone down there. It's very frustrating to be a kid and tantruming if the adult fails to notice you're acting out. I'm going to make lunch in a few minutes to get her out, and all will be well.

That is, if she's done any of her work in the past half hour.

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