Attention during school? (Bookworm you always help me)

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  • Misty
    Participant

    Ok.. so I am more than likely lacking something here and can’t seem to find it.

    I set the timer for 15 minutes and they are to work hard and get as much done in that time that they can.  If they finish early they can either have the rest of the time as a small break or move on and use all the extra time to be “free”.  My one son gets that completely and loves it, the 2nd one is about 85 % there and usually with one or 2 (and only upon occation) chores that he gets for being non-attentive he’s got it, but now for the 3rd one and the oldest he’s or I’m at a loss for him.

    So we start the timer, he starts spacing, he picks the chore out of the bucket, goes does it, comes back and either 1 of 2 things will happen.  1 he starts playing around again, gets another chore, comes back but now the timer has gone off.  Or 2 he comes back gets to it but now doesn’t have enough time to finish. 

    Can you give me some help with the “next” step.  Option #1 that one I’m at a loss with, #2 do I have him move on and he gets back to it after the other ones are done?  Even so what if it’s a never ending roation.  Please help me with him.  What have you done that has worked, do you have any suggestions or is there anyone else out there who is in the same boat as me and needs this help?

    This attention thing for him is hard, he’s to worried about shooting squirels, and picking black berries, and sometimes just nothing in perticular just as he says doesn’t want to do it so he puts at it.

    Help, MistyCry

    Misty
    Participant

    Thought I’d also mention.. That at times he doesn’t even mind doing the chores cause I think he feels that at least he’s not doing school.  Just a side note.Undecided

    Bookworm
    Participant

    Misty, I’ve been thinking about this since your post yesterday.  How old is this child? 

    Misty
    Participant

    He is going to be 11 the end of Aug., I will have to say he is our 1st born, also, very smart (not shy in this area) and after thinking more about it myself it’s just like … could he be bored ?? though he says his work is hard?

    matoo6
    Member

    Hi,

     i have a 9yo boy that would rather work at chores than do school work, so this was not a good option for discipline for him. I found out what he hates more than anything is doing nothing!! Especially when we are reading out loud from a great book and he is in his bed, lying down, doing nothing, in the other room.Laughing This has helped him more than any amount of physical labor would have, as he enjoys work. This is what I want from him. To enjoy the labor of his hands. I also want him to enjoy his school work. And he does when he gets a good rest of nothings! AHH the wonder of boys..

    Heather in MO

    Bookworm
    Participant

    Hmm.  11 is quite old enough to begin talking to him about self-motivation.  What is it  that he wants to do with his life?  Does he have any idea?  I wonder if dad could spend some time with him this summer, talking about having and supporting a family–give him the big picture.  Then work down to how important it is for him to be building skills now.  I’m not suggesting this as a fast cure–it won’t be.  He isn’t going to decide tomorrow what he wants to do and then suddenly focus on schoolwork.  But it is definitely time to begin conversations about this with him.  What kind of young man does he want to be?  Are there men in his life (dad, relatives, men at church) whom he admires?  Could they talk to him about things like character and schoolwork and working hard and all that?  If he were 7 I wouldn’t suggest all this yet, perhaps, but 11–he’s on the verge of being a  young man.  Perhaps he needs some inspiration, some responsibility, for who he can be, who God wants him to be.  Perhaps some reading about young men/boys who did not love school but who learned to apply themselves in some way?  I remember John Adams went through a spell where he did not like school, wanted to quit and farm, so his dad worked him really hard for a few days, and he ended up deciding to go back to school.  Or stories like Little Britches where a young boy needs to work hard to help his family . . . or the Boys of Grit series of stories from Lamplighter . . . Just some thinking out loud.  At 11 he needs to consider taking some responsibility for himself, and then have you be his “helper” or “reminder” to do what he has decided to do, even when he gets distracted.  My thoughts so far.  What does your dh think?

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