Let the Natural Consequences Come
As I type this, Gage is sitting in my bedroom doing his schoolwork. The problem is that he has been at work since 9:30 this morning, and it is now 2:30. The amount of independent work I gave him should have taken about 1.5 hours, so he is obviously wasting LOTS of time. I’ve gone through phases of extreme frustration today, as I’ve walked in and found him staring off into space or been interrupted by him asking me if the painting above my bed is a picture or a painting, because he would really like to go to a place like the one he sees in the picture (yes, he really said that). For whatever reason, he has been highly distracted today, but I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m just not going to worry about it. There are natural consequences to his choice to waste time. He will have no free time outside (which is absolute torture to him). And, he’ll be doing school all day, rather than a portion of the day.
Shea and I have had a low key day, because he is recovering from an ear infection and I’m fighting off a cold. So, I’ve decided to just go with it. I haven’t done any school with Gage, because he’s not done with his independent work. But, that’s okay, because I think I needed some rest. It has been a quiet day, after all is said and done, so I can’t complain.
Except, that right about now, the knocks from neighbor kids will begin, because Gage isn’t roaming the neighborhood, as usual. Oh, and the fits and crying will start when he is done with school and realizes he has lost all of his free time. And, now it begins……………..It was nice while it lasted.
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This will make you feel better. Today Shaylea started her school work around 8:30 this morning. Now, we had to leave for drama class and were gone from 10:45-12:00, and then she had lunch when we got home, but this girl was doing school right up until 7:30PM! She is the queen of dawdling! I can’t even tell you why it took that long because if she worked diligently she should be done in 4 hours–at the most! Anyway, this is not the first time it’s happened, and it won’t be the last. I have learned not to feel sorry for her. It’s not my time she’s wasting! Can you even imagine these kids in real school? Scary.
I know, Nikki. I think about how Gage would do in “real” school often. And, I really struggle because I feel like it’s such a fine line between teaching them to NOT dawdle and allowing it to happen and for the natural consequences to unfold. I think there is a line somewhere, but I just can’t quite find it. What’s really frustrating is that today, since he wanted to go play in the snow, he started school as soon as he woke up at 5:45 (I know, the kid’s crazy!) and finished it by the time I woke up at 8:30!!!
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