Homework

I asked Ozzy what they did in school the last week and he answered, “homework!”. It was exam week and I assumed he had to do paper and pencil tests.  “Was it hard or easy?” Ozzy responded with “easy”. I reserve my judgment until the PTCs.

Enrolling him in Junior nursery was very exciting for me but when the school year rolled on, I realized the amount of homework I had to do! Well, we, but I had to help him do it. I hated it. It ruined my after work personal life (that’s tutti frutti at the end of the day). I’ve had to rush home every day because of that anticipated homework.

When I was a student, I loved homework (yes, believe it or not) because it enriched me and it made me feel competent to take on a challenge all by myself.  Ozzy likes it too. Ozzy goes “what’s that next?” after answering exercises. When it comes to penmanship though, he would wiggle and roll and pretend to be tired. I know a mom whose kid just learned writing all by herself. That isn’t my story. Penmanship is laborious for Ozzy.

To motivate him, we give each line a happy face. Each happy face represented a person smiling at home. He would say, “this one ama, this mommy, this one porthos, this one…” At the very end of his exercise, I draw all the happy faces he had been “collecting”. “So many happy faces!” he once exclaimed.

Motivation. It’s the hardest thing to find during tough times. Here is one great motivator at home: happy faces.