From the mailbag:
"Dear MamaBear,
My kid failed to do all the 3rd grade work he was supposed to, so he was given it to finish during the summer.
Almost a month has passed but he hasn't done any!
Help!
Sincerely,
Catherine in Montana"
Dear CiM,
Let MamaBear get this straight.
- You own this kid, right?
- You control how he spends the summer, correct?
And yet…
- You don't *make* him do his work?
Might I kindly inquire….
Just who is the authority figure here?????
Listen Catherine….
Your kid lacks the maturity and willpower to take ownership of his responsibilities.
So it falls to you to *make* him do this.
Today (as in, not tomorrow, but *today*), craft a schedule regarding, say, 3 pages of work done *every single day*.
And then tell your son, no playing, no hanging out with friends, no video games….until this work is completed.
And then….
Stick to your declaration.
Unfortunately at your son's age, you have to provide the willpower he might lack.
So do it.
And 4th grade will be far far easier come September.
Thus speaks…MamaBear
