Transition from home to school

[Stephanie Salvatore]

Hey all. I have a first-grader who just started "big" school (we homeschooled her for kindergarten). She LOVES school, but when she arrives home, she's grouchy and disrespectful, and resistant to doing her homework. I think I finally figured out that she's exhausted and has been told what to do and how to do it for 6 hours and needs an hour of freedom before I start pestering her to do her homework and chores. That seems to have helped the school-to-home transition quite a bit. Does anyone else have any other ideas for making that transition more pleasant?

[mïchæl salmon]

cookies?

[Stephanie Salvatore]

Haha! Bribe her with treats!

[mïchæl salmon]

OK sorry about that. Bribing does sound wrong. Maybe call it "rewarding"??

But seriously... perhaps a less serious hour or two is needed. Load up the time with fun stuff (perhaps cartoons, perhaps cookies, whatever...) And then set a specific regular homework start time (3pm, 4pm?). That is when she can knock out all that yucky old homework and get back to fun stuff quick as possible. Also playing music she likes might help homework time go more smoothly... something she doesn't get while she's at school ...as long as it doesn't distract her.

But what do i know? i'm just a dad. (...since i messed up your discussion space, i had to try to put it back on track.)

[Stephanie Salvatore]

Thanks, Michael! Great idea to include something that she doesn't get at school. Yesterday, I quizzed her on her spelling words while she was swinging on the swing, and even had her do her reading while swinging. MUCH better attitude when it came to the work she had to sit at the picnic table to do! I'm going to try the music idea soon. Thanks a bunch!