This weekend, Little Ham flipped the switch and started calling us "Mom and Dad". Or... if he wants candy, "Mommy and Daddy".
2 months to the day since his arrival.
Monday, June 20, 2016
Friday, June 17, 2016
Attitude in the Classroom, anyone?
Hamslice's last day of school is today, and while he is regarded as one of the smartest kids in the class, his current report card shows Ds and Fs.
Why is that, you ask?
Darling Hamslice has decided to take charge of his own education, which means he's learning all the concepts quickly. However, during test taking, he gets a bit of an attitude. His thinking is this, "If I have demonstrated that I understand the concepts on page one of the test, I should not have to keep repeating myself on the other pages."
Therefore, he TEARS OUT the pages that he feels are repetitive and throws them in the trash. So while his peers turn in a 7 page test, he turns in only 3 pages. Of course, all 3 pages demonstrate a different skill, and all skills are represented, yet he fails the test.
It's really hard to be mad at him about this, because it feels like genius to me. Of COURSE you wouldn't waste your time repeating yourself. I get it hon. If I had it to do over again I'd be right there with you.
Why is that, you ask?
Darling Hamslice has decided to take charge of his own education, which means he's learning all the concepts quickly. However, during test taking, he gets a bit of an attitude. His thinking is this, "If I have demonstrated that I understand the concepts on page one of the test, I should not have to keep repeating myself on the other pages."
Therefore, he TEARS OUT the pages that he feels are repetitive and throws them in the trash. So while his peers turn in a 7 page test, he turns in only 3 pages. Of course, all 3 pages demonstrate a different skill, and all skills are represented, yet he fails the test.
It's really hard to be mad at him about this, because it feels like genius to me. Of COURSE you wouldn't waste your time repeating yourself. I get it hon. If I had it to do over again I'd be right there with you.
2 months and all is well
Tomorrow marks our 2 month anniversary of being a foursome. We have definitely had our ups and downs, but are figuring out some of the causes of behaviors. For Little Ham, the issue is that he has shame about his many family losses, choosing to blame himself for all of it. He talks about being a bad baby, and being a bad kid often when he is really upset. This means any discipline that we impose reinforces his 'bad kid' idea, and makes things way more intense.
We've found that if we warn that 'a consequence' will happen if a behavior continues, the behavior stops immediately. His goal is to be not only a good kid, but a 'perfect kid'. This in and of itself may cause problems along the way, but at least we know what he wants more than anything else. If we show the good kid path, he is likely to follow.
Hang in there Little Ham, we're catching on...
We've found that if we warn that 'a consequence' will happen if a behavior continues, the behavior stops immediately. His goal is to be not only a good kid, but a 'perfect kid'. This in and of itself may cause problems along the way, but at least we know what he wants more than anything else. If we show the good kid path, he is likely to follow.
Hang in there Little Ham, we're catching on...
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