This thread makes me break out in cold sweat. DS7 is very strong willed. He's only been to school for 6mths and he's been "punished" for asking embarrassing questions. I stepped in and the episode is firmly behind us, but it has coloured his attitude towards school, not that he was agreeable towards it in the first place. He can be curt to his nearest and dearest, but he also apologizes when told and is able to rephrase to something more respectful when reminded. He's actually past his worst point since he began, which coincidentally started a few months after school and is once again my sweetest little boy at home.
But at the last PTM, it was clear his teachers were frustrated. Not handing up work (why they waited 6 mths before telling me, I have no idea), handing up shoddy work despite being reminded to re-do because he feels underchallenged is not helping him with his case. His teachers say he is compliant on the surface. But when he has the opportunity, he rebels ("I realized that I could actually get away with not handing up work, so I didn't!"). I've tried very hard to talk him out of this slump, but he is very strong willed. He's not grade accelerated but at the last check, he's been accelerated 4 grades for math which I feel is fair because his writing is at grade level. I know he is planning to get homeschooled and is turning up the pressure.
Perhaps I should feel relieved that he's still working within the system, ie, trying to persuade me by discussing the pros of homeschooling each day, coupled with a few insinuations that I let him down by sticking him into school. It's probably too much to ask that he changes his attitude towards school, but I would really appreciate it if he would just tow the line for the few remaining months that is required of him.
