Hi, Dr. Laura Schlessinger here. Welcome to our YouTube channel. This is where I get to answer your questions in writing. This one's from Janet:
"Ever since my son was little, I noticed that English was not his favorite subject.
Now that he's older, I'm frustrated, because he has no motivation to improve his grades. I've had a one-on-one conference with his English teacher and we agreed to take away privileges such as TV, games and going outside to play [Oh yea, that's a really smart thing to do with a boy! (Laughs) To not disperse some of that energy]... Nothing has worked. I tried talking to him to explain how this will affect his life, and I even tried spanking, but none of it worked.
Do I have any other options to make my son understand the importance of this subject? He has good grades in math, social studies, band and all his other subjects... English is his only problem. Please help!"
That was one of the most boring subjects I ever had in my entire life. You know when you have to take a sentence and take it down into subject, and this and that, and make all those...I hated that too. But I loved to read. The Harry Potter series probably propelled more kids into reading than [reverts back to letter] spanking, no TV, games, no going outside to play - nothing; it was something that turned them on.
So my suggestion is, he's a bright kid, what he's not interested in he doesn't pay any attention to. That's typical of boys. That's just a guy thing, ok? It never stops. (As you notice with your husband, when he's really not interested in what you have to say, he doesn't hear.) So what I suggest you do is...what does he really like? Does he like space ships? Does he like underwater things? Does he like animals? Does he like plant things or bugs? Whatever he likes, get him books about things he's interested in and he will be reading, reading, reading, reading. He's just bored with what they're doing in school and I don't blame him. So was I. But I used to sneak with a flashlight and read books under the covers all night. But I just couldn't stand the stuff they gave me at school. So I'm with your kid. Spanking me wouldn't change it either. So get him books on what he'd like to read.
I'm Dr. Laura Schlessinger. Until next time on our YouTube channel.
