Quote From: taylornicoleMy daughter will be 14 years old next month. She was diagnosed with depression a few years ago. We are now on our third anti-depressent medication. She is doing poorly in school. They passed her to the 8th grade last year even though she had D's and F's. I don't think she will make it to the 9th this year. It's like she doesn't care if she is left behind while her classmates enter high school. She has been going to a counselor since being diagnosed with depression. We have tried everything to motivate her to do well in school. We have taken everything away from her (cell phone, TV, computer), nothing helps. I have tried to motivate her with her favorite concert tickets. If I can't get her motivated enough to care about doing well in school, how will she be able to make it in the real world. I am very worried about her. Is anyone else having a similar problem and how have you dealt with it?
We have had motivational difficulties with our middle son. The school counselor asked us "what is his IMMEDIATE pay-off for doing his homework?"...well, there wasn't one...we had already banned him from the computer and playing outside...back fired big time...have also tried long-term rewards...didn't help in the short-run...
Recently, we wrote up a homework contract for our son...it includes earned computer time for each assignment brought home and completed, or a note from the teacher if there is "no homework" for that day...our son is in 9th grade, with a different teacher for every class...Our son earns 5 minutes of computer time for every assignment brought home, and 5 more minutes for every assignment completed, or partially completed, if it is a multi-day assignment...20 minutes are earned for reading his AR book for 1 hour...total computer time earned is 1 hour per day...no more than that...if homework isn't brought home...no computer...and the homework must be done before any time on the computer is allowed.
For long-term rewards...for bringing his cumulative averages up for every class...bringing up his grades...he earns points that he can use toward extra computer time on the weekends, TV time, outings with the family, and the big prize, for 100 points earned...a $25 item...plus, if he has nothing lower than B's at the end of the school year, he will get to pick a DVD...
Our son has possible bipolar disorder, along with ADHD...we see a psych counselor every month...she really likes the homework contract...
So far, it has been working better than anything else we have tried...and we've tried plenty...he is bringing home his work, or notes...we are strict to stick to the contract...he tries to make us bend it...but no way...
Good Luck...Becky
