This evening proved to be quite interesting here for quite a while tonight!
Notice I said it was "interesting" but didn't say it was all really enjoyable though, did I?
That's because one small child here decided to be not just a little bit but VERY contrary and refused to do her homework.
Her homework assignment consisted of reading a book for a minimum of twenty minutes -nothing more to the assignment than that -and usually she's fine with that kind of homework. But tonight? Not so much!
Mandy, Maya's TSS (her support aide) and I all tried our level best to find ways to redirect her, to get her attitude to change and "loosen" up a bit about her refusal to sit down and read but all was to no avail. You can not imagine the amount of whining, wailing, a good bit of screaming and even the throwing of a book or two around the living room as she refused, flat out, to sit and read!
Finally, Mandy's patience level had peaked out with trying to be reasonable with Maya and she told her she'd best go upstairs, go to bed and in the morning, Mandy would send a note in her backpack, as well as make a call to her teacher too, to explain why Maya's homework was coming back, unsigned, which means it was not done!
Well, then she started having a hissy fit about how she couldn't go to school without her homework being done and she would get an "infraction" then (part of the school's disciplinary methodology) and well, that just wouldn't fly.
Her reaction to Mandy's order to go up to her room and go to bed was almost like she had just turned on a reverse osmosis system as her attitude changed so quickly then it really made my head spin!
Mandy let her suffer a bit with the thought that she would have to go to school in the morning without having her homework finished till after supper was over and done with before she relented and told her again then to go do her homework and this time, she followed those instructions quite nicely!
If you'd seen her in action with the tantrum before supper and then seen her afterward, when she went and picked up her book, sat down and read it -along with another book she had here -you'd have thought you were watching a totally different child!
This type of behavior from her used to be almost an everyday type of event but thankfully -for Mandy's and my nerves as well as for our hearing systems too -they don't happen all that frequently any more. Still need to see a lot fewer of these meltdowns but I'm just thankful they don't come about on a daily basis anymore!
6 comments:
One of the amazing things about children is how fast they can completely change course when they want to. It sounds like Mandy handled it very well.
Interestingly, the saying "May you live in interesting times," is known as the Chinese Curse/
Well Bud, there are many times when I think things here are really "interesting" to say the least and more than likely I'd probably say this could very easily pass for some kind of Chinese (or any other culture) curse! Some days it does give a person cause to reflect on sanity issues, for sure and then in a heartbeat, things reverse and all is just wonderful, peachy keen, ya know! But I'm sure you already know I wouldn't trade it for anything -just too priceless!
Oh well - we all fell like that sometimes :-) I think that it is quite human NOT to do what you are told from time to time ... :-)
My 15 YO grandson, who is autistic, has refused point blank for several years to do any kind of homework. He says *I am at school all day & when I'm done then its MY time* To get round this the school make him do his homework in the lunch break and he quite enjoys doing this on his own..... so everyone is happy.
It is difficult to get older autistic youngsters to conform. He is always getting detentions.
I know my daughter gets so tensed up about it. I think its important to try & get these things sorted while they are young... as in Maya's case.
Maggie X
Nuts in May
Interesting turnabout. Kids can change their minds in an instant, and think nothing about it. That's a trait I wish I could turn on or off, as needed, for myself! :-)
Mandy made good use of reverse psychology by telling Maya she would inform the teacher of Maya's refusal to do her homework. I do NOT miss days like that with my kids. :-)
Post a Comment