Soliciting Advice

[julzlady]

School year is already causing a plethora of problems with Quinn. I'll post some other time about the ongoing saga of the bus, but for now, I'm interested in suggestions on a different problem from people who are not in the middle of the situation.

Comments

[spinthemoon]

I had this exact problem with Tay, at the same age.

Unfortunately, I have no wisdom. I put her on Concerta five years later and things are much better. I could smack the teacher who insisted she wasn't ADD.

Try positive reinforcement instead of negative.

[ladymockingbird]

Here is a suggestion. It will take a little work on your part. Set up a magnetic board or white board with the weekdays and the subjects for which he should have homework every day.

Each day he brings home the work for all the subjects he gets to draw a star or Circle or whatever in the box related to that homework. At the end of each week when he has filled in all the stars he gets some sort of award. (I recommend a special certificate to hang on the fridge.) If he misses any blocks, no award.

In this way he learns that positive things happen when one takes responsibility.

Also, ask Quinn to help you come up with ideas to solve the situation.

Re: Try positive reinforcement instead of negative.

[julzlady]

To give you a sense of Quinn's take on the situation, I asked him last week. "Quinn, I just don't know what I can do to help you remember that you need to bring everything home every day. What do you think?" (I always ask the boys first when I am feeling stumped by a discipline problem), he said, "I just won't have any food for a week! Not even at school! Or how about if you kick me out to go live on the street!?"

Shame he doesn't share his parents' dramatic sensibilities.

I like the idea of a space for ever subject - he has a weekly "star chart" on which "Bring my homework home" is a thing he can earn or lose a star for each day, but possibly letting him see that I'm taking note of the homework he *does* bring home will help him want to bring the rest of it home, too...

DUCT TAPE!!!

[junima]

No-not on Quinn---on the inside of his bookbag! Magic Marker/Sharpie the word HOMEWORK on it. Might be enough of a memory jog to make him check that he has all that he needs before he leaves for the day. He apparently likes math, the other subjects, not so much. He must have inherited the "male blindness syndrome"--if it doesn't float at eye level, he can't see it.

This might help him earn his positive reinforcement stars.

[mapboy43]

I'm personally a big fan of making him bring home EVERYTHING whether he needs it or not for that night, that way, everything is home and when he starts complaining about how heavy his bookbag is, then maybe you can work on bringing home only what you need

just a though!