Our Lamb differences in school work

Lamb 1 would prefer it to be quiet while he works. We even tried noise canceling headphones for him to do his school work. Even those did not block enough noise for him. So we now allow him to do his math downstairs with the door closed while his brothers are told to play upstairs quietly. Sometimes if lawn mowers are going or windows are open he just can not do his work, he needs to wait until another time. I am not as extreme as Lamb 1, but I never did my homework with the TV on.

Lamb 2 loves to hum and often when he gets in trouble it is for making noise at inappropriate times. This week during his computer time at VT, the therapist forgot to turn off the music she had been listening to before he came in. She said it was piano Gospel music. It turned out that he had the best session ever. She is now going to turn on the same music when he comes in for his session. She is kicking herself for not discovering this until his last month of therapy. Ram totally understands how Lamb 2 would work better with music because Ram usually listens to radio talk shows while he writes his sermons.

Lamb 3 isn't far enough in academic work in first grade to know what his preference for noise is yet. His is more of a motivation problem. He is very stubborn and if he gets in his mind he doesn't want to do a school subject on one day, he won't. I never had this problem with the first two Lambs. Then I have to become very creative in how to get him to finish his work that day. Bribes and threats don't work. It is usually treating him as much older than 6 years old that works-saying something like, "If you finish this today then you won't have as much to do tomorrow." What else is helpful is to let his brothers finish all their school work before asking him about his school work. I think at that point he wants the one on one time with his favorite teacher mom. I am so thankful that this is an occasional problem because I don't understand it at all. I was one of those children that came home and did my homework without my parents asking. I can only imagine what the teacher would say if he was in school and I have no idea how I would motivate him to cooperate then.

I am thankful that we homeschool so we can teach our Lambs in the way that they work best. Are we always able to have it the way that they prefer? No, but I think that is good for them because the real world is not always as we prefer. But if it can be the way they prefer most of the time, they will accomplish more than if it is not.