After DSS (11) did scarcely anything on his summer reading assignment, during his 2-month summer visit with his Mom, we pushed off our planned camping/amusement park trip for 2 weeks, so he could get some work done. We've had him work on it for a reasonable length of time each day, but otherwise had fun together as a family. We assumed there was no way he could finish, so he was going to get as much done as he could and then write a note to his teacher, explaining why it wasn't done. (Not that he deserved a better grade for undone work, but A- There are some legitimate extenuating circumstances his teacher should be aware of, i.e. that he doesn't get much time with his mom and she's not very supportive of him getting his school work done, when he's with her...although I'm not sure how he would have phrased that! and B- If he were forced to spend a few minutes reflecting on why he didn't get it done, maybe he would conclude that next summer he should do his reading even if his Mom doesn't make him...)
Anyway, at the 11th hour he decided ON HIS OWN that he wanted to push through and finish the assignment. Today especially, he worked his a** off! Instead of us nagging him to stay on task, I had to make him take a break a couple times and go out and ride his bike. I also made him stop and go out for dinner - just him and his Dad - at their favorite restaurant, as a bit of a reward. He worked until bedtime - and finished it!!!! No, it's not great. His outlines are pretty minimalist and he's capable of much more substantive work. He was supposed to write it in cursive, but he printed. I think it's still worth my husband or me explaining to his teacher what the situation is with his Mom and that he did nearly all the work in the couple of weeks he gets with us in the summer, so don't judge his efforts too harshly... But I was so proud of him! And this is such a deviation from the effort that he's been putting in, at school!
Just today, he started saying he's nervous about starting school tomorrow, but at bedtime he was all smiles and said finishing the assignment really made him feel better about tomorrow.
Thanks, mamas, for the good advice about this, before. The letter-to-the-teacher idea came from one of you - and I think that may have been what prompted him to decide to get the job done. He didn't want to write that letter!
Anyway, at the 11th hour he decided ON HIS OWN that he wanted to push through and finish the assignment. Today especially, he worked his a** off! Instead of us nagging him to stay on task, I had to make him take a break a couple times and go out and ride his bike. I also made him stop and go out for dinner - just him and his Dad - at their favorite restaurant, as a bit of a reward. He worked until bedtime - and finished it!!!! No, it's not great. His outlines are pretty minimalist and he's capable of much more substantive work. He was supposed to write it in cursive, but he printed. I think it's still worth my husband or me explaining to his teacher what the situation is with his Mom and that he did nearly all the work in the couple of weeks he gets with us in the summer, so don't judge his efforts too harshly... But I was so proud of him! And this is such a deviation from the effort that he's been putting in, at school!
Just today, he started saying he's nervous about starting school tomorrow, but at bedtime he was all smiles and said finishing the assignment really made him feel better about tomorrow.
Thanks, mamas, for the good advice about this, before. The letter-to-the-teacher idea came from one of you - and I think that may have been what prompted him to decide to get the job done. He didn't want to write that letter!
