animaniacs, and were zany to the max...
animaniacs, and were zany to the max...
The states and their capitals are not a school project. It is something I feel she should know especially at her age. I was also forced to learn them when I was in 5th grade. Even now, 18 years later, I can label every state on a map and I know a good amount of their capitals as well. You might think I am being harsh, but IMO a person should know geography as part of their general knowledge. She is 11 and she can't even pick out the state she lives in on a map. Knowledge is power. There are people who give everything to protect our boundaries and our way of life. I believe we owe it to them to at least know what they are protecting. After the states we will move on to American History. She doesn't know who the first president was, she doesn't know who we fought to gain our independence nor does she know who we were fighting in WWII, why we were fighting them and when it happened. These things are important, to me at least. I am also trying to teach her another valuable lesson, work. Sometimes we need to work and that may entail doing or learning things we do not like, not only to obtain new things, but (as in her case) to keep the things we have. Anyone remember the tv show "Street Smarts" or when Jay Leno used to do the segment "Jaywalking". I used to think those people were idiots and I will do everything in my power to make sure they do not end up like that. I must be doing something right with these kids, when they came to my wife and I they were both failing every subject in school. Now my niece is A & B student and my nephew is above average in every category. To top it off, they were both awarded "Student of the Quarter" at their schools. For which I am extremely proud and they both know it.
As for the soda cans, I must have grown up very different from others on this board. In my dads house, I would have been told once to not keep soda cans in my room. Had it happened again, I would have gotten an ass whoopin, wouldn't have happened again. To me soda cans are a big deal. They attract bugs and ants (at least here in AZ). That and I do not feel it is ok to have trash sitting around the house, and I sure as hell ain't gonna chase after them to clean it up. It is also a matter of respect. When I tell a child I oversee to do something, they should respect that and follow my rules. There need to be consequences when the rules are not followed (I am not saying you should go whoop their asses). Don't follow the rules as an adult and far worse happens. Loss of job, jail, etc.
Thank you sir, she will be watching this tomorrow haha.
Have you tried beating him?
JUST KIDDING... But really have you?
JUST KIDDING... But really have you?
I should have been more detailed in the time process. I started by offering her rewards. I told her once I would give her $20 if she could get a 100% on the blank map. She didn't care. Then I started emphasizing how important it was to my wife and I. She didn't care. Then I took the allowance and so on. I tried to encourage and offered rewards, when that didn't work I moved on to something else. We have even spent time trying to help her learn them, but she has to try herself as well. Someone won't always be there to hold her hand. Once they are learned I will be sure to reward her for it too. I am very big on encouragement and such, as that was somethng I never got. I cherish every moment with these children, but I will not look past any wrong doings because the time is limited. I am not implying that that is what YOU do, but that did seem to be the general attitude of this thread.
I was very much this way with my three boys because I was a single mom. Looking back I was way too rough on them for some things, not rough enough for others. And I am the product of parents who were never pleased with me so it may be I read too much into your post.
In the end I think the kids actually turn out fine in spite of us, not because of us. God knows that was definitely the case with my boys.
I'm not a parent, but I can speak from "the other side".
I think there is some merit to the earlier poster's comment about him possibly not being challenged enough. I say that because I was one of those kids who wasn't challenged in school and calculated exactly what I needed to do to get by.
You said he plays baseball and is a great pitcher. Is baseball where his passion lies? I ask because I understand the sports pressure in small towns (even though I personally find Weatherford to be HUGE). I only played football in grades 5 and 6 and was fairly good, but I only did it because the boys who didn't got humiliated day in and day out. I'm 7th grade, I did the "I want to be like my big brother" thing and tried wrestling, which I totally sucked at. I took that as an opportunity to never touch sports again because everyone had the impression by that point that I was a poor athlete.
So here was my normal schedule: 715 to 3:30: school, 3:30 to 100: computers in my bedroom. Yeah, every now and then I'd go and drag main, but that's because it took so long to compile on a 486dx or even a Pentium 2.
I was one of those unmotivated underachieving struggling kids that just didn't do well in school because I felt that every day was exactly the same with no challenges other than not unleashing my anger on the students who picked on me constantly. I was referred to counselors on more than a few occasions because I was "more".
Heck, I even got accused by someone in an authoritative position of being gay because I wasn't very social in 8th grade and have naturally deep colored nails, so I was obviously painting them and "trying to be a girl".
The point is that not everything may be as it seems. Your kid might be the most intelligent person in their class, but straight 100s (or even just A's) is a ticket for an ass whooping in some schools.
I guess what I'm trying to say is find out what it is that really drives them. Sometimes, taking stuff away doesn't really work that well. I had enough entrepreneurial spirit that I bought a Compaq briefcase laptop that originally shipped with Windows 3.1 from a surplus auction when my computers were taken away once. If its really important to them, they'll get it with or without you. Taking the other drivel away will likely have little effect.
My 1/2 cent, because I'm not a parent and wasnt the average teenager. If there are any typos, its because the text box on forum runner is wider than my screen and my normal internet access is dead right now.
and i was worried about pop cans read this makes my heart hurt http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelo...ancer-stricken-10-year-old-inducted-into-army
It is amazing how a little bit more of the story can change the whole perspective.
I can understand trying to get them motivated in school and learn what is important. I was an honor student and still am currently pursuing my Doctorate of Pharmacy but I hated geography,the only things that really stuck are the geographical regions I learned with the study of history. You might try a different approach to the lesson, straight memorization is really a pain for some people. I wasn't a real big fan of grammar either and that one has came back to bite me in the butt 
Good luck kids have nothing but time she will outlast you
