Bad attitudes

What are his consequences when he has a bad attitude? How long have you been homeschooling him?

Juls, I truly feel for you! I’m new here also. I have a 6 year old girl with an attitude that can turn downright nasty. She is a wonderful child and mostly very agreeable, but there are those times . . . aaarrrgh! I find with my daughter that her bad attitude almost always stems from her own lack of confidence. She is a perfectionist who takes it so to heart if she cannot perform a task perfectly on her first try. Her angry tirades and smart mouth back talk are a way for her to vent frustration. Guess what happens when I get frustrated along with her? I’m sure you don’t need to be told that we sometimes cannot even be in the same room together.

The key, I think, is to keep your cool, and give a lot of positive feedback. If your son does one thing well in a school day, lavish on the praise. Sincerely, of course. Downplay those things that aren’t going so well, with the assurance that you will be there to help him practice, until it comes easily for him – no matter how long it takes! They need to know (especially when they are being abominable little terrors) that you will not give up.

I can relate with your situation with the younger children as well. I also have a 3 year old boy, and a 14 month girl (bless you with 4!). Some days I feel like I have done nothing but make snacks and clean up spills. Take Esby’s advice: Academics will come. Read to your children, play with them, and most importantly, teach them through example. Even on your most sour days, keep a smile on for them! Hang in there.

I’m sorry, I just cannot resist correcting my typos! That would be (trials) and ‘No matter…’ Ugh! Where is one’s brain when it is needed!?

I have an 8yr dd, she is a dawdler, with a bad attitude, she likes to pout. It drives me absolutely crazy, I have been reading over and over laying down the rails. It is excellent, and filled with so much good information that I have to read it again and again to retain it all. I am the problem alot of times, i loose patience and raise my voice, and that certainly is not condusive to helping her attitude. I have to work just as hard on my attitude as i do hers, the sad thing is, i probably focus more on hers than mine. I think that needs to be the other way around. In laying down the rails, it is getting my attention to focus on my attitde, and lovingly and gently work on hers. This is not easy for me, I am like a drill sargeant.(lol) I love what Cindy said about praying and showing our children a Godly attitude. the old addage “do what I say not what i do” is so true. I am telling them the right thing, but not doing the right thing. I need to change me first. pray pray pray pray pray, God’s mercy is new every morning, praise the Lord, nancyt.

I would highly recommend Sonya’s resources. But, I would also say that his heart attitude is so much more important than any academics at this point. I would spend my time working on his attitude than his school work.