Middle Boy has been working on a packet for his AutoCad class all week. It is a packet on fractions and measurement. Both are important for AutoCad and technical drawing. Neither is a strong suit of Middle Boy.
The packet is due tomorrow. He started out working on it tonight already frustrated, because he was the "only" one who didn't finish it in class.
He hates math. He isn't afraid to voice his opinion on it. He doesn't understand why he would EVER have to learn it. I get tired of hearing it and it doesn't make the time or the assignment go any smoother or better if you keep saying it over and over. If when I am trying to explain something you interrupt and say "I hate math".
We started off on the wrong foot tonight. I checked what he had done in class and when I said he had some of them wrong (poor choice of words) I could just see him getting enraged and shutting down. He violently started erasing EVERY answer in the whole packet.
I got him to stop and we took a break. We went to the couch. We took some deep breaths. I asked him to instead say "I can handle this with help" instead of saying "I hate this and I can't do it."
He gets frustrated with me, because I can do the problems in my head. I would never say that I have LOVED math, but it comes fairly easily for me. On top of that I use what he was doing ALL DAY in my job. The fact that I can do them like that is one of the defenses he tries to use against me.
After the fifteen minute break we went back to the table and he sat down and we worked through the problems...every single page and every single problem. I believe he understands them. Toward the end he was doing them completely on his own.
When we finished I gave him a hug and told him I am proud of him...for many reasons. I am proud of him for sticking through it. I am proud of him for calming down and coming back to it. I am proud of him for REALLY TRYING to change his attitude. I am really proud of him for asking for my help, because it doesn't come easy for him to do that.
This isn't going to be easy for either of us. He does need A LOT of help in math. I am committed to helping him.
Prayers for wisdom and understanding. Prayers for communication and learning.
The packet is due tomorrow. He started out working on it tonight already frustrated, because he was the "only" one who didn't finish it in class.
He hates math. He isn't afraid to voice his opinion on it. He doesn't understand why he would EVER have to learn it. I get tired of hearing it and it doesn't make the time or the assignment go any smoother or better if you keep saying it over and over. If when I am trying to explain something you interrupt and say "I hate math".
We started off on the wrong foot tonight. I checked what he had done in class and when I said he had some of them wrong (poor choice of words) I could just see him getting enraged and shutting down. He violently started erasing EVERY answer in the whole packet.
I got him to stop and we took a break. We went to the couch. We took some deep breaths. I asked him to instead say "I can handle this with help" instead of saying "I hate this and I can't do it."
He gets frustrated with me, because I can do the problems in my head. I would never say that I have LOVED math, but it comes fairly easily for me. On top of that I use what he was doing ALL DAY in my job. The fact that I can do them like that is one of the defenses he tries to use against me.
After the fifteen minute break we went back to the table and he sat down and we worked through the problems...every single page and every single problem. I believe he understands them. Toward the end he was doing them completely on his own.
When we finished I gave him a hug and told him I am proud of him...for many reasons. I am proud of him for sticking through it. I am proud of him for calming down and coming back to it. I am proud of him for REALLY TRYING to change his attitude. I am really proud of him for asking for my help, because it doesn't come easy for him to do that.
This isn't going to be easy for either of us. He does need A LOT of help in math. I am committed to helping him.
Prayers for wisdom and understanding. Prayers for communication and learning.
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