Of all the great destroyers of report cards, perhaps none is more feared than the dastardly Spring Fever. Well, okay, many others are worse, but spring fever can be pretty bad, too.
Everyone can well remember from their own childhoods: when it's getting warm outside and summer vacation is in sight, sometimes it's just a little bit trickier to remember quadratic formulae and first-declension nominative plural endings for Latin nouns like "formula." Which brings us to this week's Hey Mom & Dad question:
Coming off of spring break and as the weather turns warmer, how do you keep your kids academically engaged and motivated through the final stretch of the school year?
Take a look at what people had to say and join the conversation in the comments section.
Kendra Scudder Thompson: "We just count the weeks until summer break and that helps. It's also good to have nice weather on the weekends... but they are kids and you have to let them enjoy it... exchange screen time with outside time after school or early eve."— Elmhurst Patch Facebook
Gina Fatigato:"Teach them without them 'knowing'... if they think it's homework, or mandatory, changes the whole scheme... I like to bring the classroom 'outside'.. deciphering numbers on signs, dumping and filling, painting with a bucket of water, sidewalk chalk to do math." — Elmhurst Patch Facebook
Marilou Purpura: "I have only had to do it once... but my kids are grounded till the next report card, so of their last report card is a bad one.. that means they could be grounded till the next report card, which means, like, November? Or, one of my kids was a jerk to a teacher, on the last day of school, (and she called me) and I made her clean the chemistry class room (at the high school) while the teacher and I talked the first day of summer break. They deserve our respect... My parents made my brother clean/pack up a teachers classroom once when he ditched the last half of school. My parents were called, and they made him clean her room..." — Lemont Patch Facebook
Sarah Beara: "Bribery. He's aiming for a new cell phone for 8th grade graduation--if his grades are right!" — Lemont Patch Faceook
Kim Peters Lutz: "Keep them in a sport or club. That is great motivation to be able to keep doing what they love. When they get to the high school level, if they don't keep up, they don't get to play. Busy is better."— Glen Ellyn Patch Facebook
Diane Bean: "If someone has figured that out, don't you think we would all be doing it?"— Downers Grove Patch Facebook
Maureen Carlson: "It is not easy but we are moms so somehow we do it day by day." — Downers Grove Patch Facebook
Valerie Mager Dickeson: "Keep them interested and make sure there is a good balance of work and play." — Lisle Patch Facebook
Sandy Olsen: "Threaten to take away spring ice hockey! Greatest motivator in my house!" — Geneva Patch Facebook
Tracy Ryder: "Do it or else! Old school motivation." — St. Charles Patch Facebook