Kids.... can't live w/ 'em... can't kill 'em

[MissMillie]

We had the best day on Saturday, travelling to Troy, NY for a drill meet at LaSalle Institute. This is their last drill meet before their National meet in Alabama on 2/4. My son had been complaining that drill wasn't any fun any more, but there was no way he didn't have fun on Saturday.

8 events

8 trophies, including:
Armed Inspection: 1st place
Armed Regulation: 2nd place
Armed Exhibition: 3rd place
Armed Color Guard: 1st place

Unarmed Inspection: 2nd place
Unarmed Regulation: 1st place
Unarmed Exhibition: 1st place
Unarmed Color Guard: 1st place


Way too much fun.

Then it all falls apart. We get home to find a letter from the school. My son, whose recent test scores have earned him 4 years of free tuition to any MA state college or university, is failing 2 classes and is no ineligible to go to the National meet.

He doesn't do his homework.

Apparently, there's a law against beating him.

Ya know, I get up at 4:45 every morning to get him to drill practice, I go to all the meets (this last week having to muster at the school for 3:15 a.m.) and take pride in all his successes, and now this. He's ruined it for himself. Not to mention that he just cheated me out of a trip to Alabama (and oh, btw, I bought 4 batteries for his camcorder so we could record the entire event.....).

Worst of all, if he doesn't get his grades up, he runs the risk of not being accepted into college, and losing his scholarship.

[philosophie_en_rose]

1. Why doesn't he just do it?

I have cousin that squandered a scholarship as well. He just didn't do it and decided to take community college classes instead. When I later talked to him about it, he said that he just slacked off for a while and it built up to the point where it overwhelmed him.

My suggestion is to meet with your son's teachers. Find out exactly what he's missing and what he needs to do. Or, better yet, force your son to do it for you. Then, sit down with your son and schedule time to do assignments in manageable bites. If he's just overwhelmed, this might help.

If he's just ungrateful for the opportunities and thoughtless towards you, I'm not sure what you can do.

[China_cat]

2. We tried forcing it with my youngest

He had to write down the assignments and have the teachers sign that it was right. Then my husband or I would check to see that each one was finished.

Then he'd dump it all in a trash can before he got to school.