Hey, LeAnn,
I just wanted to encourage you as a mother of a 8 yo that you are definitely not alone in your struggles!
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
My son and I started Bigger this week too, and we both loved it, but along our 4 days we also had some
major dawddling issues! My ds is very positive about everything we're doing, but he occasionally needs some kind of fire lit under him!
![Shocked :shock:](./images/smilies/icon_eek.gif)
Our worst incident came on Wed when I left him at the kitchen table to copy 4 sentences from the R&S lesson, and do his 3 vocabulary cards for history. Now...since the vocab assignment was new we had gone through it together and I wrote on a small white board the word, definition, and sentence so that all he had to do was copy it. So off I went with the little 2 upstairs to do LHTH and we had a blast! We were so into our "color hunting" that day that I was gone 45 minutes and figured Grant had run out of things to do. Nope. In fact, he had only copied 1 sentence from his R&S...!
![Mad :x](./images/smilies/icon_mad.gif)
(This is where I almost flipped my lid...) He came up with varying excuses as to why there was so little on his paper...but the main problem he typically has is an overactive imagination. He's a daydreamer. (Not the laying in a field/quiet and peaceful kind though...he has exciting action stories and inventions bouncing around in there!) At lunch when we were talking about this with dad I laid out my theory as to why the work wasn't done that day. He just couldn't resist knowing what I was doing with Allison and Garret and kept going to the stairs to evesdrop. Yep, that was it.
I'm not sure exactly what my plan of action will be yet. Last year with the varying curriculum we were using, I'd just do all my teaching in one lump - math, phonics, geography, spelling, etc. Then I wrote out what he needed to finish in a planner and he had to check it off when he finished. THere were a lot of days where he took way too long to finish. He knew he was missing out on time to play, too. Anyway, I think HOD will work better if he gets to finish history when there's writing involved before we move on to science, etc. It's something that dh and I are praying about and will have to decide on. The biggest struggle for me is not getting frustrated when it happens as I'm pretty sure that doesn't help.
Hang in there! I'm sure God will lead you to the best way to work on charcter things with you kids. I love getting tips from other parents that help, too. I just wanted you to know that even other parents and kids that are loving what they're doing aren't necessarily having "trial-free" days. THat's are case with us. Grant says he loves his school - but we've definitely still got some challenges to work through.
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
Kathleen
(I hope this made sense...I've been distracted as I've been typing.
![Rolling Eyes :roll:](./images/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif)
)