I went though a phase like that. Getting an F didn’t matter to me well, it did, but not enough to stand up and say, “Mom, I don’t get it. I have never had to study in my life and I don’t know how. I’m confused and I’m failing because I don’t know what the heck I’m doing.” Nope, getting a poor grade was preferable. It wasn’t until they told me I’d get kicked out of honors (including honors science) did I suddenly freak out. But by then it was too late. I wish that my mom could have done more to help me or even Do My Economics Homework but she didn’t know what I was dealing with, and couldn’t.
Like your stepkids, the approach outlined here would not have worked for me. I’d hit a wall in my intuitive understanding of math and I needed serious help.That said, this approach WOULD work for my children, who have different habits, support, and a different cohort of children with whom they study. But I hear you–some kids just can’t be expected to be motivated by short-term natural consequences, and it must be incredibly frustrating.
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I went though a phase like that. Getting an F didn’t matter to me well, it did, but not enough to stand up and say, “Mom, I don’t get it. I have never had to study in my life and I don’t know how. I’m confused and I’m failing because I don’t know what the heck I’m doing.” Nope, getting a poor grade was preferable. It wasn’t until they told me I’d get kicked out of honors (including honors science) did I suddenly freak out. But by then it was too late. I wish that my mom could have done more to help me or even Do My Economics Homework but she didn’t know what I was dealing with, and couldn’t.
Like your stepkids, the approach outlined here would not have worked for me. I’d hit a wall in my intuitive understanding of math and I needed serious help.That said, this approach WOULD work for my children, who have different habits, support, and a different cohort of children with whom they study. But I hear you–some kids just can’t be expected to be motivated by short-term natural consequences, and it must be incredibly frustrating.
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