How do you help your ADHD child remember to bring homework home?
@foxii2000 (32)
Midland, Michigan
September 16, 2015 11:22am CST
This week was the first week my new middle schooler had homework. He's in a much bigger school this year. In ways that's a bad thing and in other ways it's also a good thing. I worry with his ADHD he might be one of those who slips between the cracks and struggles. Historically he has issues handing in the homework he's completed OR remembering to bring all of the necessary information home in order to do the homework.
Yesterday he needed his book for some Geography homework. Luckily when he arrived home I was able to pack him back into the car and take him to school to fetch the book so he could complete the worksheet. Previously in his smaller private school he couldn't reach his books after school to obtain anything he'd forgotten so it was nice to know that he was able to retrieve the book and complete the homework.
However, I don't want to run back to town (a ten minute drive one way) to get his books EVERY DAY! My plan is presently as follows:
First Offense: WARNING (that happened yesterday)
Second Offense: Early bedtime for Friday
Third Offense: $10 from allowance money to cover gas
I'm also trying to get him into the habit of immediately dropping his BOOKS for classes with homework into his book bag when he goes to his locker. This year we've implemented an accordion file folder to help him keep subjects and homework organized. So far it seems to be working.
The biggest benefit to the larger school is their use of Moodle. Last week he "didn't have homework" but there was a quiz the next day that he needed to study for. I don't know how to make him understand that studying for a quiz is also "homework". Luckily due to Moodle, we were knowledgable about the quiz, he studied and received an 83%. Teachers say not to check his Moodle every day, but I find that I need to in order to keep him on task.
This parenting thing has been a series of creative ideas and implementations!
2 people like this
2 responses
@crazzydolphin (3636)
• United States
17 Sep 15
I think you have everything under control. Sounds to me that you have a very good plan in place and I do hope that it works for you. My daughter is only in Kindergarten and sometimes I wonder if she has ADHD but it hasnt been diagnosed or anything at this time. I worry about her once she gets a little older. I plan on remembering this strategy just in case! Good luck :)
1 person likes this
@crazzydolphin (3636)
• United States
18 Sep 15
@foxii2000 Everyone keeps saying that my daughter has ADHD and at times it does seem that way. She is even in K for the second time this year because she couldnt stay focused at school. I do not like the idea of a child being on medicine unless it really and truly is nessesary that is also why I did not have her tested at such a young age.
Though you mention this eye thing and it interests me a lot because when she was very little we had to take her out of town to have her eyes tested because she had a lazy eye (which she did have and every once in a while you will notice it still to this day).
I was just telling my husband what you said and it has me thinking it is time to make her an eye appointment first to see what they say about her eyes now. Thank you for this info and for that link im going to have to go check that out =)
1 person likes this
@foxii2000 (32)
• Midland, Michigan
18 Sep 15
@crazzydolphin when you get an eye doctor look on the list for ones who check for tracking disorders on the website. Usually they are developmental optometrists. Likely with lazy eye she will be a candidate for vision therapy. There is a Ted talk on vision therapy from someone with lazy eye and a perceptual disorder who did vision therapy as an adult and was astounded.
@foxii2000 (32)
• Midland, Michigan
17 Sep 15
I was told when he was in K3 & K4 they wanted to test him for ADHD. However, I didn't want it on his record and I felt he was really too young to medicate, etc. I kept trying to manage it through 3rd grade and finally I took him in for private testing. He was so bad that he wasn't able to complete the private testing and they put him on meds. In 4th grade, I found he also had a vision issue called Convergence Insufficiency (CI). Unfortunately, CI can also be misdiagnosed as AHDH because the child's eyes become tired so they are restless and anxious all day.
Because of the CI I didn't tell the school about the ADHD diagnosis. I wanted to see if it was ADHD or CI. As it turns out, it seems he has a mixture of both. The percentage of children misdiagnosed as ADHD who actually only have this eye disorder is very high. I suggest you look into finding an eye doctor who can check for it before you go down the ADHD route. Only certain eye doctors do the testing for it. I wrote an article on my blog about CI and our struggles. It is located here:
Sure it sounds like we're having issues getting settled into 4th grade, but realistically, it's a problem with both eyes working together. You can't tell by looking at my son that his eyes aren't q...
@TiarasOceanView (70022)
• United States
16 Sep 15
What a fantastic job you are doing Patricia.
It is tough too when the schools cant help in any way..it is a lot more impersonable now, each child has to fend for themselves.
Sounds like tho, I like your way of doing this.
He will be very able to get the idea by the sounds of it.
Moodle..that is a funny name haha
My son who is grown now, well, it was just all out to get him to do any homework, but luckily he was able to pass somehow?
My son who is grown now, well, it was just all out to get him to do any homework, but luckily he was able to pass somehow?1 person likes this
@foxii2000 (32)
• Midland, Michigan
16 Sep 15
It is. I love the online tools though. Last year he went to a very small school K through 8 and less than 75 students. They had no online tools and despite my uncle going in EVERY DAY and inquiring about his progress, the school always said it was good...and at the end of the year we had some very BAD grades that could have been avoided if appropriate information had been provided on a regular basis to us (the parents).
1 person likes this
@TiarasOceanView (70022)
• United States
16 Sep 15
@foxii2000 Oh that is despicable..I know what you mean Patricia and I bet too you had to pay for the school too right?
