With two weeks left...

of school for the year we got this e-mail from Adam's 2nd grade teacher this morning:

Hello,

I just wanted to send a quick email about the work your child is handing in…or I should say not handing in.  Just this week (and it is only Wednesday) he has only completed and handed in math. As far and reading and writing stuff…nothing yet.  He is still trying to complete 6 assignments.  Every night this week he was supposed to take home whatever was not completed in class and do it, but he didn’t do that either, just his normal math homework.  I am wondering what is going on? Anyway, maybe if you guys talk to him at home and let me know if there is something I can do here.  He has been like this a lot this track on…especially anything that has to do with writing! Adam had to miss lunch recess and will miss afternoon recess trying to complete the assignment. Then whatever is still not finished will come home again as homework. Just wanted to keep you informed.

Thanks,

We are fully aware that he has been having trouble with his work AT HOME.  I had no clue he was having such trouble at school too.

My response:

Thanks so much for contacting us about this.  We have been having serious issues!!  I'm so sorry.  I do want you to know that we look in his folder every single night and make sure he has done his work.  If it isn't done he is supposed to do it at the McMillen's house in the morning.

He hasn't brought home anything extra aside from the subtraction sheets so far this week.  He was told to get that done this morning.  Did he?

We have been having spelling issues all track on.  He will leave that sheet at school on Thursday, even though I have repeatedly told him to make sure it comes home, and then has no way to practice.

The animal research paper that came home in his Friday folder caused HUGE issues for Adam and Justin on Sunday.  I was at work, but Justin told me it took Adam 5 1/2 HOURS to write it!!  Whining, screaming, fussing the whole time.  Ridiculous since all he was doing was transferring what he had already written to a new sheet.

I've also been having trouble getting him to track his reading.  He usually reads a ton on the weekends, but won't write it down.  I have been repeatedly telling him he needs to track it and he just doesn't.  His current excuse is that he is out of yellow sheets.  I've told him for a full week now to let you know and to write it on a regular sheet of paper till he gets one.  He has not tracked a single minute so far this week.  I told him I wouldn't do it for him, that he is old enough to take charge of his reading and will get a bad grade if he doesn't do it.

I am really at a loss on what to do.  Any suggestions you have would be great.  We have been really busy with baseball for both kids and he hasn't been getting to bed until 9 on most nights.  I'm sure that is not helping.  He will be losing some privileges and won't get to attend a b-day party he wants to go to Friday.  I really hope these things alone will get him to start doing his work.

His teacher's response:

Thanks so much for your reply.  So him and I had a conversation about what was going on and he said it is hard for him to concentrate---which I do see---however (I told him…..) I see him doing a lot of the talking with his friends!  So—we together decided to move his desk away from others to see if that would help him. 

Also, we talked about after school and in the morning at the McMillens and he says he tries to do it….but just can’t?!?!  Again says that he is distracted and can’t concentrate.  I told him that he is really smart boy and this shouldn’t be a problem and asked him why all of sudden he is having trouble with his work.  He couldn’t tell me why either. So I told him that he will be missing recess to finish up work if he chooses not to do it at night. We also have Field Day coming up that maybe he needs to earn that?  I didn’t mention that to him yet.

His regular math has been coming back….it is just the “extra” work that is not. We went through his desk and it is all in his homework folder now.  I know he has baseball so if could just work on it the next few nights that is fine.  He will miss Friday Fun as well on Friday (which he has had to miss for several weeks now….). 

He is a great kid and always says sorry and seems remorseful.  I am not sure what is going on either.  I tried to see if something else is wrong but he said nothing was.  We will just see how this week ends and how next week goes. 

Thanks for your help with this!

The "I just can't" thing, yeah we get that a lot lately.  I am so beyond frustrated right now!!  I really don't get what is going on with him.  He has always been such an easy child and so well behaved.  But the last 2 months or so he has been awful.  He isn't too bad towards me, but he is incredibly rude and disrespectful towards Justin on a daily basis.

I am really struggling with it because J is having to do most of the parenting of Adam and Noelle without me right now.  I am either at work or nursing Lily.  The work is really non-negotiable.  My jobs pay for our groceries and we enjoy eating.  I work LONG hours right now though.  Sunday I am gone from 9am-7/7:30pm, Mon thru Wed it's 7am-6:30/6:45pm, and Thursday it's 7am-4:45/5pm.  As you can see, since the kids are supposed to go to bed at 8pm, they really don't see me Sun thru Wednesday anymore.  It's hard on me, so I imagine it's hard on them.  So far as the nursing goes, sure I could wean Lily, but is that fair to her?!?!  Or me for that matter?  I am really enjoying nursing her, especially since it isn't an experience I had with Adam or Noelle.  And I honestly believe she deserves it since there is milk there.  She usually nurses around 7pm or so.  I have to nurse her in my room with the door closed or she won't concentrate and just gets frustrated.  That leaves Justin to get the kids snack and put to bed on his own.

Any ideas?