He's so like me and so not like me.
It's Sunday morning. Quiet. Not a lot of activities have started yet for my kids, thankfully. And, my son was picked to be the "Top Dog" next week for his class. Top Dog can also be referred to as Star of the Week, Star Student. You get my point. Projects like these, even with my 3rd grade son, need parent guidance.
Now, back in the 70s/80s I don't remember having this Star of the Week honor, but if I did I'm pretty sure that I would work my hardest to create a "brag" sheet about me. I would want it to be perfect for my teacher. And, I would want to finish it as soon as I could. My son, who is like my emotional twin (he also looks like me)...is definitely not my homework twin. Aside from getting him to read every night, getting him to sit down and do homework (even the fun stuff like Top Dog journaling) is a major struggle. He's a procrastinator. I am the complete opposite. I am trying to instill the value of do it now, so you won't have to deal with it later as a way he can live by. But, he wants to have fun now and do homework way, way, way later. So, we clash. Not verbal fighting clash, but clashing in the sense that the I feel me pushing him into a way of heading things on in life that he clearly doesn't want to embrace. Just now...as I write this, he has gone to his room, played three songs on his ITouch, come downstairs and gotten himself a drink. And, I am sitting here saying and thinking-Let's just finish it, Zachary. Then, we can ride bikes, go to the dog park and enjoy the day.
It's hard to push when you know you are going to get push back. Hard to step back when you are trying to instill life-long habits hoping that this will one day hopefully make a difference. Like when he's in college and has to study for finals. Or, hired for his first real job and has to meet deadlines. That's the thing with kids. They don't realize that a lot about their "now" will mold how they are in the "then". It's now Sunday at 3:50pm. He still has a way to go. But, right now he's climbing a tree with his sister, and even I can't pull him away from that.
Now, back in the 70s/80s I don't remember having this Star of the Week honor, but if I did I'm pretty sure that I would work my hardest to create a "brag" sheet about me. I would want it to be perfect for my teacher. And, I would want to finish it as soon as I could. My son, who is like my emotional twin (he also looks like me)...is definitely not my homework twin. Aside from getting him to read every night, getting him to sit down and do homework (even the fun stuff like Top Dog journaling) is a major struggle. He's a procrastinator. I am the complete opposite. I am trying to instill the value of do it now, so you won't have to deal with it later as a way he can live by. But, he wants to have fun now and do homework way, way, way later. So, we clash. Not verbal fighting clash, but clashing in the sense that the I feel me pushing him into a way of heading things on in life that he clearly doesn't want to embrace. Just now...as I write this, he has gone to his room, played three songs on his ITouch, come downstairs and gotten himself a drink. And, I am sitting here saying and thinking-Let's just finish it, Zachary. Then, we can ride bikes, go to the dog park and enjoy the day.
It's hard to push when you know you are going to get push back. Hard to step back when you are trying to instill life-long habits hoping that this will one day hopefully make a difference. Like when he's in college and has to study for finals. Or, hired for his first real job and has to meet deadlines. That's the thing with kids. They don't realize that a lot about their "now" will mold how they are in the "then". It's now Sunday at 3:50pm. He still has a way to go. But, right now he's climbing a tree with his sister, and even I can't pull him away from that.
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