Sciencemama - I'm intrigued by your username! Are you a scientist by training?
The psych I consulted with about DS said that at some point, DS may tune out to such an extent that he starts to miss assignments, directions, instructions etc...at that time, we'll have to address his lack of enthusiasm for learning etc. I felt that the time was now before all those things started happening. I sent an enthusiastic, energetic, fun kid to K and after 2nd grade had a whiney, stomach-ache ridden, no enthusiasm for anything boy. It would take about 2-3weeks over the summer to get my fun loving, ready to learn, enthusiastic, stomach-ache-free boy back. Now kids deal w/ the very same situation quite differently but if you're seening an extended loss of love of learning/enthusiasm, I think that needs to be addressed now. I got the advice of "he'll have AP classes in high school." He was in 2nd grade at the time. I got "middle school is more challenging" again that was 4 YEARS away. What bad habits would be ingrained by that time?
I did a good bit of ASing....we did chemistry, physics, biology, fun math (not arithmetic) w/ living books but as DS got more discontent, and homework started dragging to 2hrs, there was simply no time for afterschooling.
Yikes - that makes me want to cry, and also makes me worried about dd's second grade. I've been having conversations to the effect of wanting to know if things get too hard (not likely) or if things are too easy (possibly). I don't want that light extinguished. She's so raring to go to school on Wednesday and hopefully she'll have a good experience. The good thing about it is that I know her teacher is one a neighbor boy had in second grade and he's now going into the gifted program. He is of similar temperament as dd1 so she might be okay. We'll see though.
Oh, as far as my username, yes, I was a former scientist - I was in medical genetics in clinical laboratory and then in forensic science (DNA analysis) before that. After 12 years in a full time career, when I had my first two daughters in 2.5 years, I quit my job when my then youngest was 9 months. I ended up pregnant again 3 months after I quit (unexpectedly) and so it has delayed my return to work and school. My youngest will be in kindy next fall so I'll either be looking for work, or back in school if I can't find a job.
