Another good day....
.... am I beginning to see a pattern here?
We got up at a reasonable hour, were breakfasted, dressed and the television was off, all by 9am. So I sat D down at the table with some workbooks and we did a little maths for half an hour. T wanted to do some of her work too, so I set her up and we had a few moments peaceful scribbling. Of course, the page that D so desperately wanted to start wasn't the one she wanted to finish. However, I sat with her and made sure she did it.
Ramble alert :)
Now I know this probably goes against the grain of many a home-ed philosophy, ie, not making the child do what she doesn't want to, not forcing her to do 'school' work, 'school'ish subjects etc etc. But my take on the whole autonomous work ethic is mutating as I watch her go about her life.
D would spend her entire life in front of the tv for starters. It's a calamity when I switch the damned thing off. However, she has slowly (albeit unwillingly) adjusted to the lack of Tweenies in her life. And it's been so much nicer.
And when she starts doing some 'written' work with so much enthusiasm, and then just tails off halfway through for no apparent reason, I'm puzzled. And irritated. She can do the work. I know, because she's done half a page. More than half, actually. I think she enjoys my reaction when she announces three quarters through doing something that it's "hard work" or "boring" (interchangeable phrases in her vocabuary). Translated, it means she can't be arsed. Now I know we all have CBA days. Some of us more than others, to be sure. But it's that sly, sideways look she gives me as she says it, and the way T immediately announces that her colouring-in is "too hard work" as well, that infuriates me.
However.... today I changed my plan of attack. After doing 7 of 10 'colour in the balls to make different combinations of ten', ie colour in 4 and leave 6 plain then write the numbers underneath, she announced that it was too hard and could she go watch tv.
"Nope." I said. And continued writing my garden planting plan. (I've also made a point of switching this damned device off when she's working, and sitting with her to do some 'work' of my own).
Then followed the scowls, pouts, flicking of the hair [note to self: always tie hair back], and then the pleading started.
Everytime she asked, I said no. Offered to help her, pointed to where she should write 4 and 6 and which balls to colour in. T got the message after a couple of minutes, and carried on happily colouring-in another 2 pages before she asked to go play with the Brio.
Eventually, D realised I wasn't going to let her leave the page half finished. All the tears and pleading and tantrums in the world would not persuade me to switch the television on for her.
So, she finished the page. In about 45 seconds. Said "oh, it was easy, wasn't it?"
And started the next page.
I will never understand small Cancerian girl children. Ever.
We spent the rest of the day out - took Daddy his lunch into town, as he'd fogotten it this morning. Borrowed a friend's trailer and went to collect some very well-rotted manure for the lottie (see Muddy Musings for the rest of that ramble), and then went for a cuppa with a friend in the village. All in all a pleasant day.
Once home, the smaller two were put down for a snooze, but D was given a choice. Do some literacy or go nap. So workbooks won again, and she did a full page with no complaints. And her little face, when I said, "ok, you can have half an hour's tv until the others wake up" was an absolute picture. See, I can be Nice Mommy too... sometimes.
We got up at a reasonable hour, were breakfasted, dressed and the television was off, all by 9am. So I sat D down at the table with some workbooks and we did a little maths for half an hour. T wanted to do some of her work too, so I set her up and we had a few moments peaceful scribbling. Of course, the page that D so desperately wanted to start wasn't the one she wanted to finish. However, I sat with her and made sure she did it.
Ramble alert :)
Now I know this probably goes against the grain of many a home-ed philosophy, ie, not making the child do what she doesn't want to, not forcing her to do 'school' work, 'school'ish subjects etc etc. But my take on the whole autonomous work ethic is mutating as I watch her go about her life.
D would spend her entire life in front of the tv for starters. It's a calamity when I switch the damned thing off. However, she has slowly (albeit unwillingly) adjusted to the lack of Tweenies in her life. And it's been so much nicer.
And when she starts doing some 'written' work with so much enthusiasm, and then just tails off halfway through for no apparent reason, I'm puzzled. And irritated. She can do the work. I know, because she's done half a page. More than half, actually. I think she enjoys my reaction when she announces three quarters through doing something that it's "hard work" or "boring" (interchangeable phrases in her vocabuary). Translated, it means she can't be arsed. Now I know we all have CBA days. Some of us more than others, to be sure. But it's that sly, sideways look she gives me as she says it, and the way T immediately announces that her colouring-in is "too hard work" as well, that infuriates me.
However.... today I changed my plan of attack. After doing 7 of 10 'colour in the balls to make different combinations of ten', ie colour in 4 and leave 6 plain then write the numbers underneath, she announced that it was too hard and could she go watch tv.
"Nope." I said. And continued writing my garden planting plan. (I've also made a point of switching this damned device off when she's working, and sitting with her to do some 'work' of my own).
Then followed the scowls, pouts, flicking of the hair [note to self: always tie hair back], and then the pleading started.
Everytime she asked, I said no. Offered to help her, pointed to where she should write 4 and 6 and which balls to colour in. T got the message after a couple of minutes, and carried on happily colouring-in another 2 pages before she asked to go play with the Brio.
Eventually, D realised I wasn't going to let her leave the page half finished. All the tears and pleading and tantrums in the world would not persuade me to switch the television on for her.
So, she finished the page. In about 45 seconds. Said "oh, it was easy, wasn't it?"
And started the next page.
I will never understand small Cancerian girl children. Ever.
We spent the rest of the day out - took Daddy his lunch into town, as he'd fogotten it this morning. Borrowed a friend's trailer and went to collect some very well-rotted manure for the lottie (see Muddy Musings for the rest of that ramble), and then went for a cuppa with a friend in the village. All in all a pleasant day.
Once home, the smaller two were put down for a snooze, but D was given a choice. Do some literacy or go nap. So workbooks won again, and she did a full page with no complaints. And her little face, when I said, "ok, you can have half an hour's tv until the others wake up" was an absolute picture. See, I can be Nice Mommy too... sometimes.
posted by Kris | 5:20 pm
2 Comments:
Dino is a Cancer as well and we've just spent the best part of 3 hours trying to get him to write something. He counts the words, he counts the letters, he gazes out of the window, he starts chatting about anything but awhat he's meant to be doing. If I sit with him he expects me to just tell him which letter comes next and write it for him. If I go do some of my own work he comes and wants to see what I'm doing.
Remind me - how would this work in a school setting exactly?
Erk has the sun in Cancer and will pout and sulk if asked to do anything some days :0)
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