Maybe it’s because he’s the middle child and is trying to establish his unique place in our family. Maybe it is the Sensory Issues I wrote about in yesterday’s tip. Maybe I just need to be more firm and insistent with this child. I am not sure, but this particular son is just a Reluctant Learner for some reason.
If you have a child who slumps and whines and fusses and complains and you know that:
- He is not ill.
- He does not have a Learning Disability.
- You are doing all you can to discipline lovingly and consistently
- You are praying for him and with him EVERYday…
Then try one or all of these tips that have actually brought a smile to my Mr. Cranky:
- DELIGHT-DIRECTED LEARNING: When required lessons are done, allow your child to pick from acceptable choices such as educational books or games, drawing, computer games, etc. Really learn about your child’s likes and dislikes and incorporate his interests into your day. This could take the form of swimming lessons for the athletic child, a unit study on Egypt for the history buff, a movie marathon on a favorite subject, building or making a project to demonstrate a new skill or going to the library to reserve that book on Navy Seals that he just can’t stop thinking and talking about!
- SHORT LESSONS in the style described by Charlotte Mason are helpful with this personality. It is kind of like the saying about the weather here where I live, “If you don’t like it now… just wait awhile and it will change.” Make your lessons short enough that if they are not enjoying them, they won’t have a chance to become truly bored and sulky. We try not to spend more than 15-30 minutes on any given subject.
- VARIETY IS THE SPICE OF LIFE! Not only should lessons be short, but I have learned that the same ol’ same ol’ day after day makes all of us irritable. The way this works for us is to keep the core subjects the same everyday while having a different FOCUS SUBJECT of the day (such as History on Mondays, Art and Music on Tuesdays, Science on Wednesdays, etc.) and a different Life-Skill of the day on a rotating schedule (such as Laundry and Ironing on Mondays, Yard Work on Tuesdays, Bedroom Inspection Day on Wednesdays, etc.)
Hope you find some of this helpful!
Lovingly and Prayerfully,
Christina
Christina and her family are in their 11th year of homeschooling. They believe that it CAN be done despite the many challenges of life! Every member of a family brings its own unique needs and blessings. Maybe some of what they have learned can be a blessing to YOU!
