difficult kids

All posts tagged difficult kids

How Would You Like Me To Reward Your Bad Behavior?

Published October 26, 2014 by Angela

A $75.00 gift card to Amazon?

What?

I was almost speechless, but only for about 2 seconds. My dear 13 year old had an attitude yesterday morning when I told her she needed to get ready to go to her younger sister’s first basketball game. She did not want to go. I explained to her that she needed to go to support her sister, and that her sister would be very upset and hurt to look up in the stands and see everyone there but her. Well, her Dad also, but I think she has pretty much written him off anyhow.

Basketball in hoop

So she was intentionally doing everything in her power to make us late, thinking I would finally give in and just let her stay home. I also was not leaving the house without her, no matter how late we ended up getting to the game.

I think she realized this, as she was at least getting dressed, however slowly. She finally made it to the front door and said “I need to brush my hair.”

“No, you don’t. It looks fine.” More angry-face-crappy-attitude-stomping-of-feet all the way to the car. Did I mention she is 13 years old?

So now I am slowly drinking my coffee, waiting for the 8am mark so I can go get her up to go to her confirmation classes, which she has missed for the last two weeks. I told her yesterday if she did not get up and go to her confirmation classes, and I did not care if she was throwing up all over herself (yeah, I said that. This girl plays the “sick” card like it is her profession), she would not have the laptop left in the mornings to do her homeschooling, and she would spend every evening at the kitchen table with me doing her homework while I do mine.

So here’s to a beautiful Sunday, full of sunshine and Blessings!

Still holding on through the cold weather!

Still holding on through the cold weather!

8th Grade Options

Published February 19, 2014 by Angela

Since Erin and I have been experiencing some difficulty with her homeschooling (it is beyond difficult getting her to complete her daily assignments, on a daily basis) I am looking into a virtual school for 8th grade. I think this type of set schedule will definitely keep her on pace better than I have been able to, and the social aspect will definitely help her. She certainly isn’t entirely to blame for this; I seem to be a poor motivator (threatener, punisher, reward-giver, and whatever else I have tried).

I can enroll her in March, and as I know she is not ready to go back to public school at this point, I think this is the best option for both of us. I am working on my Master’s degree, online, and will be for a couple of years. I think her being in the same school-type environment as I am will be good for her.

Have you done a virtual school for your child/children? Did it work for them?