Yesterday, Francois forgets his math to study and today....

**simplemom** · 02-25-2004, 07:48 PM

....he forgot to bring home his biology to study for a test tomorrow which counts for his report card in two weeks....RRRRR!!!!

He really has a hard time to remember school stuff...*sigh*...

Now I have to find a french site with biology information about the the nervous system..........so got to go!

See later or tomorrow!

**guest2** · 02-25-2004, 07:53 PM

Lucie

Our Jaysn is like that too. It's frustrating for us as parents. Hope you find a site you need for biology.

**canadian gardener** · 02-25-2004, 09:55 PM

LOL Lucie, as I'm reading this I'm thinking, that kid's gotta be 14 or 15 and I look down and there it is-- Francois is 15 bless him.

They do grow up and out of this. I remember a school teacher I knew at the time commenting to me (no doubt I was annoyed at something ds was forgetting but LOL now I can't remember!)

and he said that teaching ages 14 and 15 was a dead loss, because they are so scatterbrained at that age with all the changes they are going thru.

He laughed and said something to the effect that teachers count themselves lucky if the kids just hold their own and don't forget anything major.

I figure it's a tough age to introduce abstract math and a lot of harder concepts.

Hugs, he will mature, quicker than you think possible.

**SewCrafty** · 02-25-2004, 11:33 PM

**lucy979** · 02-26-2004, 01:55 AM

**simplemom** · 02-26-2004, 08:19 AM

Thanks...

Well he's off to school...I studied with him this mornign again...he was so unmotivated and half awake....lol...I really hope something sunk in and that he at least passes his test...

Margery...I hope what you say is true...I am just waiting for him to wake up and take school seriously. He's a great boy, respectful, helpful and generous, but so unmotivated and kind of down with school, especiall this year. I've never seen him like this...Maybe it is the age...I hope so!

**canadian gardener** · 02-26-2004, 12:09 PM

Oh Lucie, you've got the important bits into him, it's hard. They need more sleep than ever -- almost as when they were toddlers, but even less inclination to go to bed on time. That btw is the reason teens are so sleepy in the morning, their sleep requirements are higher at a time when socially, they are functioning like adults and staying up later.

May I ask if it's grade 8 and he has just moved up into jr high? I can't remember which age goes with which grades, but the last grade ds did in school was gr 8. (we homeschooled him and his sister after that, for a lot of positive reasons, it was a good school) That and grade 9 are extremely hard.

I remember Brother Bucher warning the parents that gr 8 was particularly hard on the kids. Socially, emotionally, academically, they are having bigger challenges at a time when their bodies are changing so fast they can't keep up with their emotions let alone sleep.

They do pull out of it. I used to wonder if there was something really wrong with ds. (and then dd when she went thru it)

Deep breaths, lots of prayer and I found it a tremendous help to keep a private journal.

I kept track of what they were doing, and I could spot trends in problems.

It gave me a long view, sort of a perspective.

Oh and the ability to stamp and scream about it all without letting the kids know I was upset. LOL like ducks, you know, paddle like crazy under water, all calm and serene on top.

And knitting too. It helps when you need to pray about it, or think it thru, to have the fingers busy in a soothing repetitive activity. (I like to listen to worship tapes or jazz to help mellow me out)

Raising teens isn't for the faint of heart but the rewards are tremendous.

HUGS

**simplemom** · 02-26-2004, 08:16 PM

Oh thank-you Margery...you are reassuring...it comforts me to know that what he is going through is probably all normal...

Here in Quebec, the children go from kindergarden, then grade one to grade 6. Next they go to highschool--that's what they call it here. When you start, you are in secondary 1, then sec. 2...etc..up to secondary 5. Francois is in secondary 3, this year, except for french, which he failed last year, so french is secondary 2.

How does it work for you, the school system, where you live?

Sometimes I wonder about homeschooling, too, but I don't feel competant enough for all the coarses of high school...I am very good in french, english, biology, geography I could do ok, to teach him...Pierre could teach math, as I am completely incompetant in that! I failed math in secondary 3 and did again in summer school...and failed it in secondary 5, which I aslo redid in college....

I'm also afraid that Francois will not want to work in his studies...because he will think it's not important since he is home....I'd love to learn more about homeschooling teenagers....could you tell me about it?

How do you go about it, everday?

Debbie and Debbie?....you could also tell me how you do it?...

Thanks...I'm really wondering about Francois...he is very insecure about next year...he feels he will have to redo his secondary 3....that depresses him alot...

btw, he got 30% in his biology test.

I guess I didn't teach him all he needed to know, but I didn't even *know* what he *needed to know* He just sayed--nervous system....but there was much more in his test...and he only studied 1 hour and 1/2....

Anyways....