Ben and I went to see "The Dark Knight" tonight, and Naomi put the boys to bed. I'd seen it before with my mom, but Ben hadn't seen it. It was interesting seeing it again, there was a lot of stuff I hadn't really caught the first time. Ben thought it was well-done, but stressful. Can't disagree with that!
We had a pretty fun Labor Day. I did lessons with the boys in the morning, and Ben studied for his actuary exam. In the afternoon Ben took them to the park and I took a nap! Then we had a barbecue for dinner and the boys and Naomi went swimming after Ben and I left.
Joseph sometimes gets in these moods where he won't talk. He'll keep his mouth closed, and say what he's trying to say behind his closed mouth. He'll write letters in the air to spell what he's trying to say, but he won't actually say it! He just gets in these moods sometimes, particularly when he's mad or frustrated.
He got in one of these moods when we were doing math flashcards. I told him he didn't have to do flashcards if he doesn't want to (although the boys do get one skittle for every two flashcards they complete), but if he did want to, he had to actually say the answer. Well, he didn't want to do that, so he lay on the couch and kind of moaned while Brigham did his. When we were done, Joseph was still upset, and actually almost started to cry. I sat by him to try to figure out just what was wrong. He tried writing in the air, but I couldn't decipher the letters. Then I had him write the letters on my hand with his finger, and he wrote, "I want to do flashcards." So I told him that was fine, and then he wrote "outside." I have to commend him on his correct spelling!
So he and I went outside and did flashcards for a while, with him writing the answer on my hand.
What a funny little boy! I'm not sure I did the right thing by catering to his whims in that way, but I also didn't want to have a huge conflict with him, and honestly I guess it's ok to do flashcards outside with him writing the answers on my hand!
I think it's going to take a while before we really get into a smooth routine with lessons. I'm mostly trying to figure out how to avoid/defuse power struggles with Joseph. It's tricky! I'm hoping as he gets used to the routine we'll have fewer of these incidents. It gets tiring trying to figure out ways to avoid direct conflict with Joseph. A few days ago I had to sit in the closet with him while he did his handwriting by flashlight. It was the only way he would finish what I asked him to do!
But I guess that's the beauty of homeschooling, I can actually accomodate my kids' individual learning styles, even if it means sitting in a dark closet or playing Annie Sullivan to Joseph's Helen Keller!
4 comments:
You look radiant & beautiful in that pic! You've definitely inspired me to be a stronger woman :)
You do look great!
Hey...with Joseph...just an idea. My oldest two kids have sensory issues...which I never would have known if I hadn't taken Moroni in to get tested at the age of 2 for his "tongue thrust". Who knew all these sensory issues that he had, but which PERFECTLY explain his behavior. He's a super smart kid, and it sounds like Joseph is as well...but Moroni's senses are just...well...out of whack. I don't know if this is what you're dealing with...but it's an option to explore. I'm all about exploring options with my kids. There's a website on my blog. It lists some behaviors and things. I know people who deal with some stuff...tend to see it everywhere, but it's an idea. Because if it's something like that, there's tricks for addressing it. :)
I agree with Abbie. I learned a lot through Jacob (now 16) that I wish I would have recognized and addressed when he was young. There's no doubt about these kids that are a bit different ... they are a wonderful expolosion of high IQ, intuition, gifts - whatever you want to call it - about to happen and you're right you have to do things different or I think we squish their differentness! Does that make sense? I wouldn't have said that before these many (sometimes long) years with Jacob. You're so smart Gabrielle, & flexible and doing this at a difficult time in your life just proves once again what you're really made of.
Kara
My goodness! You could be dressed in a potato sack and you'd still be stunning! You really look beautiful! As for Joseph... I know very little about him, but something did jump out at me in the details you described. The two events you gave both have Joseph wanting to be alone with you. Is there much competition between him and Brigham? It sounds like he can certainly spell, but are flashcards more difficult for him? As a school psych (now unlicensed), I saw time and time again where kids were absolutely brilliant - BUT they would struggle or have a more difficult time spitting out those answers on the spot - especially if other people where watching. Again, I don't know Joseph at all - but it seems that he really likes to be away from the others when doing his work. The question is why? Input? Output? Retention? Concentration? So many possibilities. Just more thoughts for you to consider. Good luck!
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