OMGosh ALLISON! I owe you some rent! When did my nephew move in with you? I must do much better on those bed checks, heck I didn't even know he was missing!
Check out my story ~ I will try to be brief, but that never happens.
Ron had an F and a D on his semester report card...along with 2 A's 1 B and a C. Now Ron is SMART...but L-A-Z-Y...this is an on going problem...plus ADHD...which has started to NOT be a problem as he grows and stays on a very low dose of medicine (that is another story ~ I am against over medicating kids totally ~ fought the drugs for years ~ he begged me last year for HELP..as I said another story)
I restrict him and other punishments, he does not GET AWAY with these things! I talk ~ e-mail and MEET his teachers and always have to help Ron become a good citizen.
After the last report card I made sure I asked him EVERY day if he had homework...Ron will lie, tell you no, then when confronted he'll say "Oh, it isn't due until Thurs".. even though he has had the assingment for weeks, but this is a Wed. So every day before he got to go to the tennis courts or skateboard I'd ask "Do you have any homework? Is there ANY project you could or should be working on?"...Nope..."If I call your teachers will they tell me the same thing?" Yep.
Over Christmas break he was board, I asked him isn't there any project you should be doing?..Nope...Well Ron, I find that strange, because I always had a project over Christmas, Aunt Angie did, Ryan, Amanda and Lara did.
Well GUESS WHAT? he did...and of course he didn't do it...I caught him trying to sneak it in, he thought I had left for work, I did but had to come home for some material I had forgotten...he lied so many times when I confronted him and asked him questions that I had to go get my BS BOOTS, it was getting so deep.
I just walked out of the house...for the next 2 days he just walked on eggshells...I didn't say a word, he vacumed...dusted...cleaned his room..things were looking pretty nice!
Then on Sunday, after church, he says "Uncle Gary I am going to go with Jason and Emily (one of my neices) to play frisbee football...something he does most Sunday afternoons. UH..NO! you're NOT...then the "WHY?" I just told him, Ron go write down, so I am clear, what happened at the table the other day, and you know what I mean.
In short ~ HA! ~ Uncle gary I lied to you because I didn't want conflict and I know you don't...I talked to my teacher and she is going to give me more time (3 months wasn't enough?) to complete my project...and give me some TIME MANAGEMENT tips...
WHAT! He BS'd his way with her...she is a young one..KEep in mind he hadn't done anything on it and was 14 assingments behind on it...which was 14 weeks of doing nothing!
So, 1 week later, yesterday, as I drop him off at school, I ask him "How is that project coming along Ron?" Fine Uncle Gary...cool dude...let me see it...uh...well Uncle Gary I haven't done anything on it...WHAT! WHY!...well, Uncle Gary, I haven't had time to get the time management tips from Mrs. G. ~ OK dude...well don't worry about getting those tips...I will FIX the problem tonight.
Later...back at the ranch....Uncle Gary can I go play tennis? Is your homework done Ron? Yep...OK then go ahead and spend the next 3 hours on your project...I am MANAGING to Give you the TIME...EVERY DAY...I will manage to give you 3 solid hours to work on that project until WAY AFTER it is done! EVERY DAY! After all your work is done...you will have 3 hours to work on the project, then you can go "play"...but Uncle Gary, then it will be too late to go "play"....NO KIDDING! Poor baby
...at the end of year he says " I am going to sign up for honors classes!" Every year I say "NO you are NOT!" Why he comes back at me...because look at your honors grades C- ~ D's and F's ~ Well, that's because I didn't DO my homework...WHAT! I asked you every day did you do it...over and over...the same old story. Well, Uncle Gary I will this time, I want to change...progress reports 
