Tami writes:
My 7-year old (in 2nd grade) will not listen to me. No consequence matters to him. He is a smart little boy who is NOT applying himself at school and therefore getting bad grades. They sit in "groups" of desks & he rushes so he is not the last one done. I have told him a MILLION times be the last one done - who cares? Otherwise now you are in trouble for bringing home an F for rushing. I am at my wits end with him. Please help! Thank you.
Dr. Todd writes:
Tami,
While I have not met your son, I have met many boys his age whose behavior has been described the same way by their moms. The good news is that there absolutely IS a way to get things under control and it starts with you and your husband learning three important strategies: Teaching respectful behavior, turning on respectful behavior, and turning off disrespectful behavior. My book, Respectful Kids, can help you with this. That book will show you how to teach your son the skill of “Fast Listening,” which you will like A LOT. You will learn how to practice Fast Listening together in a fun way and how to positively “pour on” the positive attention when he does fast listening. You will also learn how to effectively respond to your son’s disrespectful behavior in a way that will teach him the right lessons, in the right way.
My only other thought is that if you notice significantly inattentive, impulsive, or overactive behavior at home AND if the teacher observes similar behavior at school, you may want to talk to your pediatrician to see if your child is showing signs of ADHD. I can tell you more about this later in another question if you would like!
Dr. Todd
Posted on
Sun, May 6, 2012
by Dr. Todd Cartmell