Even His Dog is a Melancholy...

That is a line from a VeggieTales, I can't take credit for it, but I do think of it every time I run across this attitude from Isaiah.

I can't stand it. Really I can't. The boy is so mopey and sulen and sad and keeps throwing himself the biggest self-pity party that I can tolerate all because I want him to do schoolwork. That's it. The boy's life is ruined because I am expecting him to preform at a second grade level. It stinks... and is the number one reason I think about quitting the homeschooling stuff.

Don't worry, I'm not quitting. But I must admit I threaten to. I shouldn't, but I do. There are tooooo many other reasons why we have chosen this path. I won't throw it all out because my 8 year old decides to be down-in-the-dumps about learning. I am sure it's probably a phase... I'm hoping that it most definitely is a phase. And I am trying my very hardest to address the issue calmly and with the right frame of mind, but grrrrr, this makes me so crazy.

Seriously though, I am calming down now, I will stop ranting.

Isaiah is naturally a rather pessimistic type person... instead of focusing on all he does get to do he always, always notices what he's missing out on. If he stays 3 nights at grandma's house, but doesn't get to go eat at Burger King, he's going to pout about missing out on that greasy hamburger. It's a constant battle. Now I know everyone has a propensity to do this to some degree... it's a very human characteristic. But it can drive me crazy.

I must do it to some degree, because I'm sure that's why it bothers me so.

So for the past week or so this has been the pattern... if he's able to do what he wants and play all day in the snow he's as happy as a lark for the most part... but if I ask him to stop for a moment to do some lessons, his face totally becomes downfallen and he sulks, majorly. I just want to shake him. I wish I knew how to respond to it properly and effectively. I just get put out... and I feel like it will damage our relationship. I'm hoping the book I'm reading will give me some ideas... but I'm totally just going to have to bathe it all in prayer.

Kids are so stinkin' hard.