All About Careless Children

[dilemma]

Hi Sskitty and all


I am facing the same problem. My girl is very careless too, she lost one or two marks in her maths test due to carelessness but lost many many many marks in her SA1 exam which upsets me very much.

I told her I am very upset, she cried. I felt bad. I tried the carrot method before the exams too, but it didn’t work.

Anyone know if abacus helps in their accuracy?

[skkitty]

Hi Dilemma


Yes that is what is exactly that is happening that upset me. Good idea, wonder if Abacus can train them?

Btw what is the carrot method? Can share?

Hi Jedamum

Thanks for sharing. Will try your method talking to him and see what he says. As you said, he will only listen for the moment and forget after that. He called me just now automatically and asked me which assessment book he can do!

Anyway to make them remember? sigh…

[rocklee]

I have the same problem too. My son’s handwriting is really illegible. Last year, when his teacher was on maternity leave, the relief teacher that took over the class was very fierce. For that two months, he was so scared of this teacher that he became so conscious about his handwriting. After the relief teacher left, back to "normal" again. :x I have yet to find any solution to this but I have threatened him that during next week PMT session, I am going to ask the teacher to punish those with bad handwriting by asking them to re-write 100 times! As usual, he will say "ok lah!" So I shall see if my "threat" is going to work.

[clarabella]

skkitty:

Anyway to make them remember? sigh......

Just to share. I finally found a way that works for my ds1. I used to have to tell him (okay, more like screech at him) \"Check your work!\", \"Tidy your desk!\", \"Tidy your room!\", \"PRACTISE your piano!\", \"Learn your spelling!\" etc.
Invariably, he will claim that he forgot my instructions. Like many kids, my words seem to go in one ear and go out the other immediately. So, since the auditory way didn't work, I created visuals of what he's supposed/agreed to do for work, instead of telling him or writing a list. As an example, to remind him to practise on the piano, I snapped a picture of him sitting at the piano and stuck it right at his desk. He can't miss it (big! colourful!) and can't claim that he 'forgot' when it's staring at him in his face. It's harder for him to ignore a photo (esp one of himself), but very easy to tune my nagging out!
Unexpected benefit: apparently ds1 feels that he is reminding himself to do his work since he's the subject in the pics, so I am no longer the one badgering him. I think our r/s improved because he doesn't get irritated with my incessant nagging.

So, skkitty, just a thought here - maybe you can take a picture of the assessment books that you're asking him to do. Or get him to strike a pose with them hahaha. Even if it doesn't work to remind him, can get some laughs out of doing a funny thing.

[skkitty]

It really looks that many parents are having the same problem. Wonder if the careless problem will improve as they grow older?


Any experience from other parents?

[skkitty]

Hi Clarabella


Thanks for the suggestion.

Will take a photo of him and make him remember and maybe put words on the picture to remind him of his carelessness and ask him to take note.

[clarabella]

Np. Hope it works, skkitty. The things our kids make us do to help them … grrrr.

Er, maybe don’t mention "carelessness" but emphasize "careful"? More positive mah…

[jedamum]

clarabella:

So, jedamum, next time he'll bring his girlfriend(s) home for you to approve. Think how fun that'll be :lol:

I will just be happy that he brings her home when the time comes!
But don't think can bring her home for dinner...I dunno how to cook a decent meal!
:idea: maybe she'll cook for me instead! hohoho :politebleah:

[clarabella]

jedamum,

Wah, a MIL who can’t cook! Your future DILs would be delighted… cos you won’t be commenting on their culinary skills (or lack of).

[ttyh]

My kiddo lost 4 points in his maths, 1 point in his Chinese & 0.5 in his English SA1 recently due to carelessness too.


What I intend to do during this holiday is to print out test papers with answers all writen on it. Some answers will be delibrately written wrongly and I will ask him to spot the mistakes.
Hopefully using this method, he will approach 'checking paper' in a different mind set and adopt it during his future tests/exams....