5th Grader waited until the last minute... (method, party, ideas)
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I was so frustrated last night. My son waited until 2 nights before an assignment he was given a week to work on to even start, and then he sat at the computer and - I didn't realize this at the time -typed like 2 sentences in 2 hours. (OK, he did also do an outline and headings and a table of contents. Everything except the actual content, you know?) Then immediately after school yesterday I had him get back to it - no break -- and when I came over to take a look at 4:00, he had typed maybe one more sentence. His argument - he's not good at typing and I should help him. I told him no one's that slow and its his homework - I'm not bailing him out. THe he told me he was going slow because he has all these complicated ideas in his mind and he can't get them out because they're sooo complicated. My poor delicate genius! Long story short, he was supposed to go to a holiday party, and while he did get to go for a short while because of a group thing he was needed for, he then had to leave the party before the good part and come home and finish his project. Didn't finish until 9:30. HE was crying his eyes out about missingthe party - I don't think he believed I'd do it to him. It killed to to be that mean to him, but there is no way I was going to rescue him. Aaarrgghh. Just wanted to vent.
Good job, mama... real life consequences. Fifth grade is old enough to have some consequences for not planning ahead. I know it's probably tougher on you than it is on him, though!
Sounds like you did the right thing. Next time he says he says the same thing, have him write the complicated ideas down on paper. It will hopefully do one of two things. It will clarify his ideas so he doesn't have to remember every detail, so he can then transfer it to the computer. Or he'll realize he likes writing them down worse and will type them up, accomplishing the same thing.
you did the right thing, but sometimes it is difficult for kids to sit at a computer and focus (unless he is familiar with a computer). if he is computer savy then he was probably just procastinating. but there might be other issues. sometimes you have to sit down and talk them thru it.
let this serve as a learning example for him.
make sure to remind him of what he sacrificed because of his procrastination.
Quote:
Originally Posted by cdc3217
I was so frustrated last night. My son waited until 2 nights before an assignment he was given a week to work on to even start, and then he sat at the computer and - I didn't realize this at the time -typed like 2 sentences in 2 hours. (OK, he did also do an outline and headings and a table of contents. Everything except the actual content, you know?) Then immediately after school yesterday I had him get back to it - no break -- and when I came over to take a look at 4:00, he had typed maybe one more sentence. His argument - he's not good at typing and I should help him. I told him no one's that slow and its his homework - I'm not bailing him out. THe he told me he was going slow because he has all these complicated ideas in his mind and he can't get them out because they're sooo complicated. My poor delicate genius! Long story short, he was supposed to go to a holiday party, and while he did get to go for a short while because of a group thing he was needed for, he then had to leave the party before the good part and come home and finish his project. Didn't finish until 9:30. HE was crying his eyes out about missingthe party - I don't think he believed I'd do it to him. It killed to to be that mean to him, but there is no way I was going to rescue him. Aaarrgghh. Just wanted to vent.
I've been having similar issues with MY fifth grader, so I can definitely relate. Last Friday he told me he had a "little bit of research" to do. Come 6pm Sunday evening, he sits down to do said research & it turns out to be a full blown poster project. It took him over 4 hours to complete, I was so mad. THEN, he comes home from school on Monday, I notice the poster still in his backpack & ask about it. "Oh, I didn't know, it's not due until Thursday."
I do think as parents we need to help guide them, but you're definitely doing the right thing by not just completely the work for him. Maybe a little assistance with finding methods that work for him though. My son loves to read, but doesn't care for writing so much. When it came time to write summaries, stories, etc., he would take FOREVER. Once I sat down with him & talked about it, we figured out things to help him organize his thoughts & make getting the work done easier & faster.
Location: Jonquil City (aka Smyrna) Georgia- by Atlanta
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cdc3217
I was so frustrated last night. My son waited until 2 nights before an assignment he was given a week to work on to even start, and then he sat at the computer and - I didn't realize this at the time -typed like 2 sentences in 2 hours. (OK, he did also do an outline and headings and a table of contents. Everything except the actual content, you know?) Then immediately after school yesterday I had him get back to it - no break -- and when I came over to take a look at 4:00, he had typed maybe one more sentence. His argument - he's not good at typing and I should help him. I told him no one's that slow and its his homework - I'm not bailing him out. THe he told me he was going slow because he has all these complicated ideas in his mind and he can't get them out because they're sooo complicated. My poor delicate genius! Long story short, he was supposed to go to a holiday party, and while he did get to go for a short while because of a group thing he was needed for, he then had to leave the party before the good part and come home and finish his project. Didn't finish until 9:30. HE was crying his eyes out about missingthe party - I don't think he believed I'd do it to him. It killed to to be that mean to him, but there is no way I was going to rescue him. Aaarrgghh. Just wanted to vent.
One night number 1 you should have clapped him upside the head and told him to sit there until the assignment was done.
I've been having similar issues with MY fifth grader, so I can definitely relate. Last Friday he told me he had a "little bit of research" to do. Come 6pm Sunday evening, he sits down to do said research & it turns out to be a full blown poster project. It took him over 4 hours to complete, I was so mad. THEN, he comes home from school on Monday, I notice the poster still in his backpack & ask about it. "Oh, I didn't know, it's not due until Thursday."
I do think as parents we need to help guide them, but you're definitely doing the right thing by not just completely the work for him. Maybe a little assistance with finding methods that work for him though. My son loves to read, but doesn't care for writing so much. When it came time to write summaries, stories, etc., he would take FOREVER. Once I sat down with him & talked about it, we figured out things to help him organize his thoughts & make getting the work done easier & faster.
While I agree to help guide a child through homework or a project.....I say her son missed the "guidance time line" by not working on the project from the time he got it, and waiting until the last minute. By doing so, you lose any of my help and assistance. She did the right thing, but I think I might have done like another poster said, and made sure he got it done that first night you found out.
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Long story short, he was supposed to go to a holiday party, and while he did get to go for a short while because of a group thing he was needed for, he then had to leave the party before the good part and come home and finish his project. Didn't finish until 9:30. HE was crying his eyes out about missingthe party - I don't think he believed I'd do it to him. It killed to to be that mean to him, but there is no way I was going to rescue him. Aaarrgghh. Just wanted to vent.
It took him over 4 hours to complete, I was so mad. THEN, he comes home from school on Monday, I notice the poster still in his backpack & ask about it. "Oh, I didn't know, it's not due until Thursday." 
