"Mommy, my brain doesn't work right..."

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-12-2007
"Mommy, my brain doesn't work right..."
2
Fri, 12-21-2007 - 8:44pm

My heart is aching after my DS (5.3yo) said to me, "Mommy, my brain does not work right." He has not been doing any school work in his kindergarten classroom. His teacher has been sending home all his unfinished or not-even-started school work to complete at home for the last full week. I asked him why he is not getting any work done. He said because he wanted to play instead. I then pleaded with him to do the work that his teacher is asking of him so he could learn. He promised, but then the next day it would be the same story all over again. I asked him why he keeps on breaking his promises. Then he said there is something wrong with his brain. I asked him who said that to him. He said no one and that he is the one who is saying that to me. It breaks my heart. How do I get him to do any work at school? He also tells me that a few of his classmates chase him around the playground during recess and punch him. I asked him if they were being really mean. He said they were being mean. I asked him again if they were just pretend-fighting/playing or really being mean and trying to hurt him. He then said they were playing, but he wants them to play with someone else because he wants to play by himself. I asked him if he wanted more friends, but he said no. He only wants to be friends with Max (in another K class) and Mathew (a kid in his special-needs play group), and he wants just two friends, no more. I am not sure if these kids were really playing with him or were teasing/being mean to him. Justin doesn't read social cues well at all.

-- Innie




Edited 12/21/2007 8:55 pm ET by justin_jayden_mommy
Lilypie 6th to 18th Ticker Lilypie 3rd Birthday Ticker
iVillage Member
Registered: 01-25-2007
My 4th grade Aspie has a similar issue. Even though he is very good at math he only got a B on his report card. His teacher said it was because he doesn't finish the math worksheets in the morning. The next activity is reading and he is so eager to get back to his book that he can't stop thinking about it and finish his math work. His teacher is pretty good about it and she never wants to tell a child to stop reading but we really need to find some incentive for him to finish what needs to be done first. It might help if your son's teacher "chunked" his work. Broke it down into smaller sections with breaks in between. It's difficult for any kid at five to remember and follow through on a promise made the day before. He needs constant reminders and reinforcement during the day from the teacher. "If you can complete one part of this you can have 5 extra minutes of play time." etc. She can slowly work it up to completing the whole page etc. I would also tell your son that everybody is different. In the way they look and in the way they think. His thinking isn't wrong it is just different and that's what makes him special. The world need people who think differently. If everyone thought the same way there would be no great innovations in the world.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-28-2003

Hi Innie,


I have a similar issue w/ my 3rd grader (8.5 y.o.).