Patrick T. Peterson

Appreciate the post. Will take a look at the book. I'm now repeating a 10 week Parental class - "Raising Resilient Children" with Christopher Glover in Santa Clara, CA. Main text is Faber and Mazlish's "How to talk so kids will listen and listen so kids will talk." Really neat - especially this second time around. Also went thru "Children who are not yet peaceful" by Donna Bryant Goertz and "The Psychology of Freedom" by Peter Breggin - two quite different books but with essentially compatible messages: treat kids with GREAT RESPECT! Things are a bit better now, but still some rough edges on focus. I think lots has to do with how I treat my son, instead of a problem with him, so I'm working on that.

John, Thanks for the encouragement and new suggestions. They seem very appropriate. My son is indeed VERY interested in many other things and overall, I'm not worried at all. Just wondering how much to push on the focus needed for him to do the basic math and a few other things he does not like much now.

Kat - thanks for chiming in and offering the suggestions. Will work on it.

Thanks Michael. Good perspective. It's just hard to keep the big picture in mind sometimes when the press of homework, dinner, cub scouts, bath, getting dressed/undressed, brushed teeth, story read, lights out, and sleep etc. all have to be fit into the short 4-5 hours after school - especially when the homework just does not want to be done! But you are basically right - and that needs to be remembered.

Check out the positive article on this huge class at Harvard: http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=511334

Hello - starting this thread to help all parents deal with the difficulties of raising their kids - namely me. I'll have some good things to offer along the way, but my main reason for starting this is a need. My wife and I have a 7 year old, 2nd grader, boy. We often have a tough time helping him stay focused. His private school teacher (Carden School) is out of ideas. In fact, he seems so out of focus for all the subjects that do not immediately interest him, that I am to the point of pulling out my hair or raising my voice or worse. He can sit and read a book for almost 3 hours straight, or stay focused on soccer practice for a good hours an a half no problem. But when it comes to math homework, ugh. I realize this is a pretty borad subject, but am certainly willing to hone it down for those who may have ben able to overcome something that sounds similar. thanks.

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