I think we can put a Big Fat FAIL on today. Sigh. I don't want this blog to be a place where I whine about how darn hard it is to homeschool and how frustrated I am with motivating my son to do his best work. So I have not been posting, which tells you all you need to know about how it's going so far this year. The thing that drives me the most crazy is that we have occasional good days that are so beautifully perfect it keeps me believing that this will all bear fruit someday.
Last week he did all his work every day. He wrote an essay on Friday that had me dancing when he read it to me (Oh, the transitions! The descriptive words! The persuasive phrasing!) I thought, at last, we have hit upon the right combination of variables. Wake him at 8:30 and bring him down for breakfast. Perform some sort of physical activity, either Tai Chi, bike riding, or basketball. Brew a cup of green tea. Start with Spanish, then Math, Reading, Language Arts, History, Geography, Memory, Science, Religion, and Current Events. Sign off each subject when it's complete; give him my undivided attention. Work him through each step of the assignment. Read the directions, ask leading questions. Compliment him. Use the funny voice. Make him snacks. Take short breaks. Reward him with screens on Wed and Sat if he has achieved a star on the other days. Notice when he makes any improvement, even in the slightest measure. Don't neglect one-on-one time. Find moments to connect. Be clear with expectations and requirements. Empathize. Explain.
I guess if I think back, we did not do the physical activity today and I did not make him green tea. Is it really THAT delicate? No, it started before that. It started when I woke him up and then left the room instead of dragging him out of bed. He did not get up and I had to go back upstairs to get him out of bed, and that right there was the start.
I can't be perfect every day. Honestly, I would take the occasional bad day if it came occasionally and was the exception rather than the rule.
I will begin again tomorrow and try to stick to the routine a little better. Starting the day with physical activity is key.
