My child behaves better in the summer what should I do in the fall?

Question

My daughter will be going into the fifth grade in the fall. she has had some issues in school and attitude. She is influenced by a lot of kids in her class...and not always in a positive way. I have considered placing her in a different school or homeschooling. What is everyone opinion? ( I don't see the next school year being much different from the last, is is in a looping class and will be with the same kids in the fall)

Answer 1

Tell her you flat out you see a difference in her behavior. Ask her if she is having trouble with the classes or people in her class. Heck, teachers can even make a kid grumpy. I had a couple who would rattle me to no end and I felt like there was nothing I could do about it.

Answer 2

make sure that she is not having a problem with the school work (understanding, reading,attention problems)

it could be she is a summer girl.I find I get really ititable in the colder times when the days are shorter. I never really put two & two together untl I was in my late teens early twenties.

Answer 3

She needs someone to talk to, a counselor would be one option.  Why is she acting out, is she truly having difficulty with the work, is the work too easy, is it not fitting her learning style.  These are reasons, not excuses, for kids to act out in class.  The trick is to find out the root cause of her problems and then work out a plan to counteract them.

Another thing you can do right away is to talk to the teacher, set up a behavior plan for her before school even starts.  Talk it over with your daughter.  If she meets your standards for the day, the teacher will give her a note of some sort, which your daughter gives to you, reward her every time you see the note.  When you don't see the note, talk to her about what happened.  Make it HER responsibility to get the note, not the teachers.

Answer 4

There's really nothing you can do.

She's in 5th grade, she'll grow out of it sometime.

A new school can cause the same thing to happen.

Homeschooling will just make her feel locked down.

Answer 5

maybe with the change of teachers she will be better disciplined, as will the class and her behaviour will change. If she is easily influenced it won't matter if you change schools as it happens in every school

Answer 6

That's an interesting question.

We homeschool our daughter ever since we removed her from school in the fourth grade.  

If your daughter's behavior is better in the summer, that is a red flag.  Without talking with her about it, you can know exactly what is happening in school.  Even if you do talk with her, you might not find out.  Kids under-report problems.  They tend to accept as normal what happens at school, even if it is abuse.

Making a change sounds like a good idea.  

If you are interested in homeschooling her, check out this website:  http://www.midnightbeach.com/hs/

All the best.

Answer 7

pretend it's still summer!

Answer 8

As a parent, my priorities would be behavior.  You forget so much of what you learn in a classroom, but the attitudes she picks up and practices are going to have lasting impact.  I would definitely make a change.  I switched schools for this reason in 10th grade.  Also, I have admired many parents who homeschooled only during the middle grades.  I like this approach because their children seemed to be getting the best of both worlds.  They had experienced how to deal with peers in a classroom during the early elementary years, but during the time when peers are the most destructive, they were getting high quality education at home.  Then in the later grades of highschool, when their children were less impressionable, they went back to public school to take advantage of college prep classes, trade classes, and to get experience in the "real world" with peers.  It was good to integrate before graduating from highschool, because then when faced with the ugliness of the real world, they still had parents to fall back on for support, unlike they would experience if they were homeschooled all the way until graduation and leaving home.

Answer 9

maybe there is a situation at school that you dont know about like a child only picking on her when no adult is around that could be the problem you never know

Answer 10

do what you think is best for her. with kids, a new school feels like a new start, but with others they don't know how to make friends and may feel lonely. If you want to home school her, see if they have a homeschooling organization in your town. It allows home school kids and their parents to go on field trips maybe once a month. That way, they meet new people their age. Whatever works for your daughter

Answer 11

I was always being influenced by the kids which I thought were cool.  Unfortunately, they are usually the rowdiest of all.  

I'm afraid that every school will have a "bad crowd".  You can't escape it.  It's like work, in every office that one person who sucks up to management and snitches on everyone.

School is a means of teaching a child to cope in society.  To stand on it's own feet, to fit and find it's own self and personality.  Yes, she will be influenced, sometimes in a bad way.  She will also get positive influence whether she wants it or not.  Children need to socialize in order to grow.   Staying at home will not teach her to function as a group.  

My school councilor spoke to me one day asking me why I hung out with the "bad crowd".  She actually opened my eyes even though I didn't understand it at the time.  She pointed out my good virtues and made me start to think.

She also kept an eye out for me, letting my mom know what was happening, which was good.

Kids change friends on and off.  Sooner or later she will meet some nice kids and drift off in another direction.  Perhaps you can try to help her meet other kids during her summer vacation.  

You have every right to be concerned especially in this day and age.  She's lucky to have a parent who cares.  Your job is a difficult one.

Good luck

Answer 12

ya she might grow out of in but if she doesnt sit her down and have a "disscusion"

Answer 13

If it turns out that she is stuck in the class with the same kids, try to switch teachers. Also, is she being stimulated enough in the classroom? She might be bored. If she is, ask the school to test her for a gifted&talented or honors program.

Answer 14

this is normal behavior depending on what shes doing if its normal kid stuff like miss behaving in class in a minor way don't worry most kids do this she will most likely grow out of it- but if its in a sierious way I would sit down and talk with her and if things don't change next year (if its that sierious) then I'd advise homeschooling but first talk with the teachers and see what the other kids are doing (the ones that are influencing her)

I hope this helps...