Would your 9 y/o find this homework hard?

[Takver]

OK, so the homework consists of a diamond divided into 9. The task is to write your 9 favourite things to see, starting with the best at the top, and working down. You can draw a picture with each thing if you like; you have only to write one word in each diamond (although you can write more if you want to).

AIBU to think that this is not that hard, and should not require two session, one of an hour, the second 45 minutes and an awful lot of tears to complete . . .

The problem, FWIW was not the writing, but deciding what were her favourite things to see. Apparantly she doesn't have favourite things to see, only favourite things . . .

DD would faff about choosing her favourite things, especially after the first 2 or 3. But would complete it in less time I would hope. She'd probably need a bit of pushing along to make decisions and maybe some ideas.

I reckon I've gained yet more grey hairs. It doesn't matter how much I point out

"Your teacher REALLY doesn't care if they're not exactly your favourite things, he just wants something to start discussion on this topic" . . .

You could try getting a pair of your old sunglasses and asking her to imagine she's in darkness. The only way she can see anything is to put on the magic glasses and they will show her one thing at a time. Ask her to put the glasses on and to tell you the first thing she would ask them to show you - her favourite thing to see. Repeat until all diamonds are complete. Best of luck with that one!

It shouldn't require the anguish, but it would in this house.

And although I am guilty of trying to persuade my DC that they just need to do something, even if it's not totally truthful and accurate, just to get it done, I realise that this goes against what I tell them in the rest of their lives.

It's that 'favourite' word that makes it so hard for them.

PMSL at the shouldn't

whatdoes - in the end I wrote a list of things that I would like to see (with lots of exaggerated looking-out-the-window etc) and then "oooh, well, maybe that would be the best one" etc and eventually dd admitted that actually that was probably an ok way to do it.

I'm sure not all children can be like this about this sort of thing!!!

Actually, we have an appointment to meet the Ed Psych in a couple of weeks, so I guess her teacher feels the same way too

Homework sometimes reminded me of the Calvin and Hobbs cartoon where Calvin is complaining at being sent up to tidy his bedroom. He says "It'll take me all day" and "Hobbs replies "Oh it shouldn't be that long... shall we start over here."
Calvin then says "Heck, it'll take me till lunch to finish complaining about it."

Sometimes the complaining over how hard/boring/unfair it is takes longer than the doing.

My 13 year old - who is very bright but just does not do personal discussion of any kind - would find this an impossible task!

That is so true about the Calvin & Hobbes cartoon, DeWe - I am almost tempted to find it and show it to dd.

I'm very glad to hear though that we are not the only ones suffering with such things . . . (that sounds heartless, but YKWIM)