Teen and homework hell

[QuixoticQuokka]

How do you get teens to do homework that they don't want to do? My 13 year old is of the opinion that as the school has consequences then he is free to choose between either doing the homework or accepting the consequence. The consequences are lunchtime detentions where he can sit reading to his heart's content .

The homework that he doesn't want to do is the English reading scheme. It's not so much the reading itself, though he doesn't enjoy some of the genres and sees reading these particular books as a form of torture, it's the associated tasks. I think he's caught up to where he should have got to by Christmas, maybe, I can't get any clear answers out of him, he had been telling me he was up to date before when it turns out he wasn't. I'm a sole parent and I work full time so he usually does homework after school before I get home. I have taken his tablet away that he was actually reading web serials on. He is now re-reading The Three Body Problem and I don't know if this is a delay tactic as it's a long book or if it will actually count for the scheme. I just want him to bring home some easy 200-300 page YA novel from the school library and just get the tasks done! He won't talk to me about it so I don't know what to do.

That all sounds good to me, OP. If he is reading more and more adult books now he'll be picking up the vocab and grammar that'll be helpful to his own writing. I'd maybe point him in the direction of some older sci-fi - Jules Verne maybe? - as they have to be able to cope with a fair bit of pre1914 text at GCSE.

If you are worried about the reading homework, chuck a quick email to whatever contact point you have for the English department. They can decide if it's important or not and have a word with him.

My DS was similar at that age, just didn’t do hw he thought irrelevant (which covered science, re and English) and did the minimum for most other subjects. I wish he’d read anything, unlike your DS he won’t read anything at all, unless it’s needed for an exam. He did engage when they finally got their gcse texts and read them and worked on them to the extent that he felt secure in passing the exams, but not bothering to go the extra mile he was capable of had he put the effort in. He’s doing a levels now & still does the minimum possible. Good luck! In your position I’d email his English teacher and see what he wants done and enforce it. My DS got away with many missed homework’s, not sure why but he rarely got sanctions/ detentions, perhaps because he was quiet and never a trouble maker in class. I used to confiscate his phone until all homework was done, but as not all teachers used the electronic homework system reliably he got away with a lot.

Your son is reading for pleasure, going through books quickly. He is doing his English homework and course work and is on track for a good /very good grade. Relax! You're clearly doing a good job and leave him to it.

Thanks all. The tablet is still confiscated from the weekend but he doesn't seem to care in the slightest. He's finished reading the likely delay tactic book and is reading the second book in the trilogy now. He still hasn't done any more of the reading tasks or bothered to hand in the one he has done. Maybe I should just be happy that he's reading.

As he is a voracious reader I would just let him read what he likes. Don't make something he clearly enjoys a battle ground. A compromise way of exposing him to the suggested wider genres/vocabulary is to listen to the books eg Audible app. I've fed DS (not a keen reader) a diet of the classics on long car journeys eg Treasure Island, Frankenstein, 1984.

Middle class, not a teacher.

I've fed DS (not a keen reader) a diet of the classics on long car journeys eg Treasure Island, Frankenstein, 1984.

This is a bloomin' brilliant idea and I will be stealing it!

You're welcome.

I've fed DS (not a keen reader) a diet of the classics on long car journeys eg Treasure Island, Frankenstein, 1984. I might see what CDs the library has to play in the car for when we go away at Easter. DS feels car sick if he reads for too long. Thanks for the tip .

Someone upthread asked about dyslexia. I've been asking questions of his teachers since lower primary but as his writing has always been average I've been told there is nothing wrong. He was the only child in his Reception class who was on a different table for writing (middle) to his reading group (top). He's tracked the same since.