Writing with Grandma
January 12, 2012
I know it’s quite normal for teens to think that Mom and Dad have no clue what they’re talking about. Now that the girls are officially teens, they’re strictly following the teen code of conduct. 
This can cause a bit of a problem when you’re homeschooling though. As I adjusted the workload and expectations to match their grade level this year, they reacted as though I was being totally unreasonable. They would complain, turn in work that was given only a partial effort and they outright ignored my deadlines despite whatever consequences we put into place.
Enter Grandma with a healthy dose of perspective.
At first the girls were quite happy to have Grandma help them write the biography reports I’d assigned. Then reality hit. Grandma isn’t joking around. She has high expectations and no problem putting a big fat ‘F’ on an assignment if it’s not right.
Grandma broke down the paper into smaller assignments for specific outlines, notes and written rough drafts. The assignments are emailed to her to be graded. Late assignments are an automatic failure. And yes, one girl actually tested this out! They’ve spent whole days at Grandma’s kitchen table working under her watchful eye. It’s a drastic change from the freedom I usually give them when they work here at home.
They’re nearly finished writing the reports now. Not only has their writing improved but their attitudes as well. I think they finally realize that my expectations are not out of line for their age and grade level. I think they see that they really do need to step it up, stop being lazy and do the work! Perhaps they even appreciate the freedom I give them to work where and how they choose.
I’ve seen the difference in attitude reflected in their other subjects. They’re putting in a full effort, the complaining has stopped and they’re treating both me and my assignments with much more respect. They’re also displaying more confidence in their ability to handle the hard stuff. They’re smart, they can do it. They just need to put the work in.
I’m so grateful that Grandma is available to share her time, knowledge, talents and passions. It’s definitely a perk of homeschooling that the girls can learn so much from someone they love and respect.
