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Melody's Diary Entries Diary Navigation: Choose A Diary Entry -------------------- Latest Entry: 6/27/00 -------------------- 6/18/00 6/6/00 5/19/00 5/14/00 5/12/00 5/8/00 4/5/00 4/1/00 3/27/00 3/9/00 3/8/00 3/7/00 3/1/00 2/8/00 2/7/00 -------------------- Melody's Introduction

April 1, 2000

I read a newsletter about teenagers the other day. The newsletter talked about ways of getting your teenagers motivated to do homework. And that it is very beneficial in the long-run for your teenagers if they do homework, and how you as a parent must encourage your teenager but not do the homework for them.

OK, I thought. That makes sense. But, then again, I've had the opposite problems with my teenagers. I guess my teenagers don't fit into the "norm." I'm just not sure.

Melissa hated high school and constantly complained about the inane, immature people she had to deal with on a daily basis. And, she had a bad habit of forgetting to turn in her work. HOWEVER, she would spend literally hours in her bedroom pouring over school books, reading, doing schoolwork, and then sometimes not even turning it in which drove me nuts. I would find piles of school books with completed work in them, and I just didn't get it.

Then, there's Jeremy who is in a special program 'cause he apparently, according to teachers and specialists, does not fit into the "normal high school environment." Jeremy does go to school, at least for a couple of hours each day. He doesn't like school, yet the teacher will send home piles of work, and he'll do it. Nobody has to tell him to do it. He just does. He even brought home this entire book to work on vocabulary and reading exercises, and he can receive 10 credits of English by completing the book. He's working on it and says he'll have it done in a week or two. He wants to work on the book that's actually way too difficult for him so he'll learn. Am I hearing him right? Jeremy wants to LEARN something.

Melissa claims she doesn't learn a darned thing in school, and that she must learn stuff on her own. Yet, she knows the "system" says she must get her high school diploma or GED and stuff.

So, I ask of you, what does one do about this situation? I guess I have to figure out a new game plan. Is there a game plan that truly works when it comes to kids and school?!