my kids don't like one small square:seashore

[rodandmegs]

The only complaint we have with Bigger Hearts is the science. My kids don't like to listen to the seashore book (one small square). They despise it! What should I do? They don't enjoy any part of it.

[Jennymommy]

I'm surprised All three of my boys loved those books, and spent much time looking at the pictures to find the various creatures from the back of the book.

[rodandmegs]

They think it is weird because we don't have a "square" on the seashore. I tried to explain that they can just imagine it, but they don't want to! They do like the pictures, but when I pull the book out to read our pages, they both groan. I think it is the way the book talks about "your square" that puts them off. I don't know what to do, though. Today we didn't even read it. We looked at the pictures and read the captions but the lesson.

[LynnH]

I guess I would tell them that they will read about lots of things that they aren't going to actually be able to experience and that they can still learn from it. I wouldn't skip it. I guess to me it is an attitude thing. I have never allowed my son to use complaining as a way to get out of doing something. As in life some things they are going to like and some they aren't, doesn't mean they get to skip the things they don't like. Honestly I would nip the groaning in the bud now, or it will just get worse as they get older. The book is scheduled for only so many weeks so tell them they need to have a good attitude about it, that they don't have to love it, but they can't complain and that they will move to another book soon enough.

[Gwenny]

I agree with the pp, I wouldn't let mine have a bad attitude about the books. If you let them determine what you will read and do now, you will be traveling down a road you don't want to be on. It won't get better and they will know they can complain and get out of it. They will probably start enjoying it when they know they can't get out of it--even if they don't admit it.

[rodandmegs]

We will continue on with it. I don't allow my children to whine or complain, either. This is honestly the ONLY thing they don't enjoy. And I can't even remember them complaining about a book in homeschooling EVER. You're right though {all of ya}. And it is only a few more weeks! Sorry, I guess I just had to find out if this was normal and if anyone else didn't enjoy the book.

[LynnH]

Don't feel you have to apologize. I totally understand trying to figure out if this is normal. I know you said they haven't ever not liked a book before so I can see where you would want to see if you could figure out why. One heads up I will give you as someone with older kids, is that around 11 or 12 is when my son, who is super compliant, pushed some boundaries as far as complaining about school work and having a negative attitude about things. I blamed it on the beginning of hormones as well as just getting older and trying to spread his wings a little bit. I was totally caught off guard when that happened with my easy going son, so just to give you a heads up if you start seeing that in the next year or two it might not have anything to do with the curriculum.

[rodandmegs]

Lynn, thank you. I have no brothers, so life with boys is different!! I have noticed a slight change in attitude with my 10 year old son - eye rolling and sighing when he thinks I don't see or hear him. Glad to know this is normal, although not desirable, behavior!! Also, I looked ahead a bit in the guide and the seashore book, and I think they will enjoy the next pages and accompanying activities.

[MomtoJGJE]

Do they understand that with those books you CAN have a square at each of those places (there are more books used throughout the guides). Basically, you are looking at a small section of land to see what's in it. So you CAN go to the seashore, woods, coral reef, tundra, etc, and mark off a section as your square. So the book is speaking as if you actually HAVE done that.

So maybe you can tell them that whenever you get to a book where you CAN have a square (like if you live near the beach you could go do a square at the seashore.... we actually go to the beach every summer and we talk about the strand line and tide pools, etc.) you WILL have an actual square.