Well this could end up being disastrous. I mean, what if what I write ends up making absolutely no sense? Wait, does anything I ever write ever make any sense? I don’t know. Jeez.. This is gonna suck.
So, what to write about? Well, I don’t know. Hey, I know. Does anyone know how to help a couple of 13-year olds get organized? The twins keep failing assignments because they forget their work. They don’t forget to do it, they just forget it completely. Like they leave it in their locker. Or they leave it at home. Or they lose it completely. It’s quite maddening.
They are really smart kids and pick up on everything quickly, but for some reason organizational skills elude them. I’ve tried punishing them for every assignment not turned in. That punishment grew harsher with every missed assignment. Then, when that didn’t work, their mother and I assigned them are own homework to do in addition to their punishments. That didn’t work either. I’m at the end of my rope and have no idea what else to try.
I told the twins last week that if I didn’t get any emails from the school this week saying they had failed assignments that I would take them to see The Hobbit yesterday. I picked them up after school, we went to Taco Bell to get some dinner (hey, Taco Bell fucking rules, I don’t care what you say), and I thought we were actually going to see the movie.
Taco Bell. Make a run for the border. Not for the food, but because you ate it. That’s where the bathroom is. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Then, while we were standing in line I got an email saying that Baby A had failed three assignments in the last week. Ugh. While we were eating I got another one saying that Baby B had failed three assignments in the past week. WTF?
So as I’m giving them whatfor, Baby B looks at me and glumly asks, “I guess we’re not going to see The Hobbit now?”
Um, no. Duh. For fuck sake I just don’t know what the hell to do. If any of you have any suggestions or have successfully rectified this with your own children I’d love to hear about it. I have absolutely NO ideas left and neither does their mother.
On a sad note, I still have two minutes left and I have no idea what else to say now. Perhaps I’ll go find some pictures to put into this craptastic post. Hold please.
Woohoo!!! Picture done and time’s up! Sorry you had to suffer through this, bitches!!
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It seemed odd hitting like since you are banging your head against the wall. I just sent you an email with some thoughts.
Cool. Thanks. And clicking like just means that you like me enough to click like. Or something. I don’t know.
Well, then I guess it was appropriate. You’ve kinda grown on me…not like a fungus, more like a strange smell.
Either way, I’m not honored.
Aw, c’mon Daddy….you know you’re the bomb!!
Woohoo!!
My son is 14, and my ex and I have had the same issues. The only thing we found to work was electro-shock therapy.
I kid… (is that child protection services at my door??)
All my ex and I could do was be on him about it EVERY DAY. Every time he came home from school it was “any homework?” It’s hard, because you don’t want to hammer them every minute of the day – you want time with them to be good, especially when you’re not all living together under one roof any more – but I’m a firm believer that kids need discipline and consistency.
He still sometimes misses assignments or homework, but he’s old enough now to take responsibility for himself. If he forgets a piece of work and he gets into trouble, it’s his fault and he has to deal with the fallout. If he gets into trouble at school for missed work, he knows he gets it in the neck again when he gets home and so far he’s been good at keeping on top of things. There’s no easy answer I’m afraid – especially with boys – but just keep doing what you’re doing and they’ll get the message.
Yeah, I’m not going to stop punishing them but it doesn’t seem to be getting through…
I know how you feel fella, I still go through the same stuff with my son. But it DOES get easier and they do listen, bit by bit. You have to be a bastard, but it’s so worth it.
God I hope so, this has been going on since last year.
There’s a period between 13 and 16 when they’re nice and start growing up – then they turn into arseholes again lol
Oh, I can handle asshole. I can still take them in that regard. But I just can’t seem to get through this particular issue.
I couldn’t have put it that way more.
I love your incomplete sentences.
What do you mean, you love my
Yes, that’s exactly what
Why didn’t you say this be
Because I thou
I can’t fu be th sh
T i s m f …
!
? lol
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Could you make them pay you for every assignment not turned in? If there is allowance at stake and they lose, say $3 per missed assignment, their motivation might get kicked into action.
Well, they have to pay me for every time I have to tell them to redo a chore…
Well…maybe a plate full of smelly veggies. The more assignments they miss, the more veggies they get.
Hmmm….that’s an idea. They hate broccoli…
And if broccoli doesn’t work, toss down some asparagus and double the suffering…first while eating and second while peeing that lovely aroma.
Um, yeah. I was thinking beets, but I like the way you think.
And the beet goes on…the plate.
See? This is why you need to write more humor.
I do indeed, but there is something inspiring about the back and forth witty banter that helps it come easier.
Would it helped if I co-authored one with you to help?
Not only would it help, but it would be fun. I have the kids this weekend…so sometime next week?
Sure! And have fun with your kiddos. I’m sure you miss them terribly.
Just write them off as screw ups and have more kids.
Hmmm….tempting, but no. They’re just too damn expensive and what if I have more screw ups?
That’s the risk you take, but remember that one of them might make it big in Hollywood. And then who’s paying the bills? Hollywood kid!
Maybe. What if that child pulls a Lohan? Too risky.
Hey, Lindsay’s parents probably made a decent chunk of change off of her before she went nuts. Invest that money wisely and you’re all set.
Perhaps, but what would Disney do with a small little storm trooper?
Knowing Disney, they’re likely going to be coming up with some children shows based on Star Wars soon. Baby Storm Troopers is probably already in the works,
If executed properly, this could be good. But that’s doubtful.
Gave you a much-deserved shoutout today on the blog. You’ve earnd it.
Woohoo!!! I’m running over to check right now!!
Excellent! As for the boys….they’re boys and that is half the isse. It sounds to me that they have Executive Function Skills, which is a fancy term for “being a boy.” Google it. What you have to do requires consistancy. I had to organize my son down to getting his clothes together at that age. When he started high school it was a nightmare with changes classes and what not. The older my son got, the more his skills improved. It’s not easy, it’s not fast but, it can be done.
I just hate that they’re always in trouble because of it.
My son attends a Catholic High School. He had no prior exposure to a Catholic anything. Freshman year was a nigtmare!! Try getting that rigid enviroment to understand a kid with papers crunched up in his pockets…they were homework. It’s who they are and punishing them for it only makes them feel like something is wrong with them. If they go to a public school, you may be able to get some guidence from their special education department.
I’m gonna shoot their teachers an email and ask for assistance.
If they both failed the same assignments, I might be tempted to ask who skipped school that day? I had twins as friends bak in my shool days and they used to cover for eah other.
Haha! No. They failed different assignments. I’m just waiting for them to try that shit, though.
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It doesn’t really seem like you are truly sorry…
Taco Bell does rule! Delicious, affordable, convenient… what more can we ask for from a taco shop?
Can’t really be much help with the assignment problem – that’s not something I’ve dealt with before. Is there a way to find out from the teachers what assignments Baby A and B should be working on each night so you can ask them about their progress towards those before they are due?
That’s the thing. They do their homework. They just lose it afterward.
*joke* Did you tell them that not turning in their assignments leads to the dark side?
I had some friends in school that were that way; they would do the work (sometimes I would even help them with it) and then they just wouldn’t turn it in. Sometimes they even had the work in their backpack and just never bothered to take it out and hand it over when asked… I have no solution for that sort of intentional rebelion against authority. For organizational purposes, however, I had a seperater binder (folder) for each class so the assignments/homework/etc… for each one were all kept together. Then when I was headed to a certain class I knew I just needed to grab that binder.
I don’t think they’re intentionally not turning it in, but I guess anything is possible. I don’t know what purpose that would serve, though.
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My advice. Sit them down and have them go through the want ads and circle any jobs they think they would want to apply for. When they come back say….this is why grades are important…it is your choice to do well or not. Punishing them and rewarding them won’t make them do what they need to do I fear because I was them. Tell them what they do is up to them and then no matter how hard it is leave it alone. Tell them the consequence of failing is summer school in one form or another. And the consequence of doing well is good grades, a better summer, and a better future job because they learned how to be responsible. I dunno…my kid is only 8.
Haha. Well, I often ask them what they think would happen to me at work if I just lost stuff. “You’d get fired.” They know. They know what the consequences are, they are just scatterbrained and I’m sure a lot of it is because of their age but I don’t feel right just letting it slide.
I wouldn’t either
I feel your pain. Good luck!!!!! OMG twins…girls…13….kill me! 
Hahaha. I’d be more worried if I had twin girls, but luckily the boys are mostly into video games right now. I can live with that.
Oh they are boys??? Well that explains everything…they are fine!!!! LOL
Hahaha! Yes, boys.
Any chance that they can do it (or most of it) on a computer and email it? That is the only thing that saved my son.
And TwinDaddy, you’ve got to stop calling us all “bitches.”
Why? It’s a term of endearment where I come from.
Perhaps lack of civilized manners is one reason why you left.
Um, no. I was underage and had no choice.
I may have to do a post on this issue. It is part of the breakdown of our society because it shows a total lack of respect.
Nope, I’m not joking. Ask anyone over 40
Only if you take it as such. It’s a word and most of the stigma has been removed from it. Also, I doubt seriously that with all of the breakdowns in our society that this one registers at all as being important.
I will try to write about it tonight. But I honestly do find it offensive and cringe every time you or someone else uses it.
Oh, alright. I’ll try to keep that in mind.
Reblogged this on cftc10.
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You think like i do. Except, halfway through a sentence, I may have jumped to another topic completely.
Though I was the same way as the twins when I was in school. My problem, was that the assignments didn’t challenge me, they were easy, thus I didn’t want to do them. Maybe they need a challenge as well. Sad part was, that for me, I was in the advance AP classes.
Is it a good thing that I think like you do?
Always a good thing.
Okay.
After all, look at how geektastically awesome I am!
True.
See, I’m just awesome, therefore, by proxy, you are.
Or is it the other way around?
Oh noes, I’m just rubbing off on you.
I’ll let you think that.
You keep doing that. And I’ll keep agreeing.
Good. Then we understand each other. I think.
Completely and utterly.
Oh good. I love redundancy. And repetition.
I can tell.
If you figure it out, can you tell me?! I have to deal with this with my 15 year old cousin and I’m going stark crazy! Why are kids so unmotivated these days even though they possess the intelligence to do so much?!
I wish I knew.
You can hide their games for a semester and forget where they are hidden? That might make them remember to turn in their homework.
Hmmm….or I could “forget” to feed them?
Let me start by saying you have stepped up to this challenge and it was a success. If I were to do this I would be afraid of banging my head against the keyboard for ten minutes and hitting the submit button.
As for the advice part I am not one to give parenting advice. I hear advice all the time whether I want it or not so I try to avoid it. Sure it slips out every now and then but not often. I can say this much, as a teenager I was a mess, disorganized, disinterested and failing many classes. Through additional help, making up classes and a load of complaining I barely scrapped by. I never took education serious until I was married and had a family to support. Suddenly I was a high honors student.
I know if my kids do the same I would not be interested in waiting so I do have one idea, can the school send copies of assignments to you on the day they were assigned? My mom worked with my teachers to do this once and it got me a passing grade. Would have been much better but the year was nearly over.
Food, shelter, clothing = need. Video games need, they = want! . The pain of deprivation will not be life threatening if the games are hidden.
I was joking….
I know you were…..
I’m not joking about taking away the games or whatever else they love to do. They will not be scarred for life. Yes, I’m a mean one.
That’s already part of their punishment.
Can’t help you on this one,,,as I did the exact thing on Friday!
I worked late into the night on a assignment,,,and forgot to put the stupid thing on my stick or to email it to myself,,,get to school to download the thing and FUCK it’s not there!
Hope I don’t do the same with your acceptance speech.
Lmao. Me too.