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Teaching Responsibility

purplegirl201's picture

What is a good time to start teaching a child responsibility? I think the sooner the better.

My SS is on vidtual learning and has been given a Chromebook by his school, he broke the charger that it came with so it takes longer to charge it on a regular charger. That being said shouldn't it be HIS responsibility to plug t in when he is done class so it has enough time to charge fully? 

Yesterday it died 15 minutes short of allowing him to complete his last class, DH said he had started charging it before we went to bed but SS had obviously unplugged it at some point becasue that is just what he does.

DH is always worrying that SS electrical items won't be charged and is always pluggng in the phone or the tablet or the game controllers, I refues to, if he is old enough to have them then he needs to know whe they need to be charged and stop being so clueless. 

This kid is a nightmare with the virtual schooling, he doesn't sit down he constantly is doing what the teacher tells him not to do so he gets kicked out the class and has to wait for the next one to start. Yesterday I had to call the school twice becasue he was acting out and was getting kicked out. DH just laughs. I told him that it wasn't really funny and that I was tired of overseeing SS and school becasue he doesn't pay attention or take any of it seriously.

I don't want to be doing this but don't really have any choice as DH needs to work and can't take him with.

Comments

AgedOut's picture

I'm a mean mom. My advice is to stop. Stop reminding, stop calling, stop worrying. Let Dad deal with it all and if he doesn't, it's on him. Dad thinks it's funny? When his son fails, remind him of how funny it was. Kids now-a-days know to charge the items they use, that he doesn't shows he doesn't care. Kiddo doesn't care, Dad thinks it's funny? Wipe your hands, walk away, let Dad take the reins. 

Johnm0819's picture

I truly gave up on caring about her grades when I KNEW her progress report was going to be bad. She just didn't care, wanted mom to do EVERYTHING for her, and she was failing 80% of her classes. Doesn't help that she has the attention span of a cotton ball.

Winterglow's picture

I just read your last post over again. Stop worrying about his son and virtual learning - not your problem. You are working from home and don't have the time to play teacher/ watchdog. Tell your DuH that the only way anything will get properly charged is if it is taken from his son to stop him playing all night. Finally, the kid might do better at his learning if his father would give him his ADHD meds, they'll help him focus. 

That being said, I repeat, it is not your problem and not your responsibility to run after this kid. You are his father's wife, not the kid's mother.

tog redux's picture

Your DH is a fool - he could teach him this lesson in one day if he just didn't plug in his electronics, and SS had to wait to play his games or on his tablet because they needed to be charged.

Instead, he's teaching him that someone will rescue him from responsibility and he can blame others when things go wrong. 

You always have a choice - DH could hire someone to come in and teach SS. If mine ever laughed at me when I brought up legitimate concerns, I'd stop doing anything to help him whatsoever.

Harry's picture

You are working from home.  This kid is old enough to plug in his laptop. When he's finish with school.  
Let DH handle it. As in not my monkey not my circus 

Aniki-Moderator's picture

Not your circus, not your monkey. 

SS is DH's problem. Not yours. You are allowing DH to make SS your problem. JUST STOP!

  • Stop home-schooling SS. Either BM needs to do it, DH needs hire a skid-sitter, or DH needs to change his hours so he can oversee his son.
  • Stop calling the school. DH or BM need to call the school. PERIOD.

What you NEED to do is your job.