Above is a diagram of a healthy inner ear. I can only conclude that after spending every weekday sitting at the kitchen table across from my 4th grade son that at this age, damage to the inner ear occurs.
My theory stems from the content of the conversation that appears Matrix-esque, dotted with de ja vu. Each interaction with the boy goes like this;
Parent: "So what's this i see in your bag?"
Boy: "I don't know."
Parent: "I thought you didn't have spelling words."
Boy: "I didnt have time to write them down." sniff sniff
Parent: "Oh and look at this, there is even a need little ink stamp that says "FOLLOW DIRECTIONS"
Boy: sniff sniff
Parent: "...and look at this word...you misspelled it three different ways."
Boy: "I thought it was right"
Parent: "The word is in the question you were answering."
Boy: "I didn't see it"
Parent: "Is this your best handwriting?"
Boy: "No"
Parent: "Why did you do it then?"
Boy:"I don't know"
Parent:"What kind of answer is,"I thought it was good, because she wanted to do it after they all went over to that place."
Boy"I don't know"
Parent:"Did you even read this?"
Boy:"Yes"
Parent:"Go to your room and think about this"
After being lied to time and time again and the boy forgetting something that was explained to him just moments ago, leads to one conclusion...inner ear damage or the need for a surgically installed helmet.
EOT
Hmmm, this begs the question:
"What is the motivation to do what you are supposed to do as a 4th grader?"
While some motivation is intrinsic "Man I gotta do a good job." Some is extrinsic "If I do good work, I will be able to watch TV and eat ice-cream." Perhaps negative stimuli are the best fix.
Now hold your horses, I know that society has “flipped the script” in recent years. With parents caving to children’s rants for fear of reprisal, and overparenting parents who would do their children’s homework for them rather than let them fail; I understand the message is confusing as it passes thru the “How does the morning talk show circuit think I should raise my kids.” filter.
I invite you to take a moment of pause and make the commitment to get back to basics.
Little Timmy, or Suzy is your little bundle of joy. You love them and cherish them. You want them to succeed in life.
What you don’t want is to find them at the age of 43, still living at home. You don’t want them over your neighbors’ house at the age of 43, throwing a log thru a decorative gas pump in front of your neighbors garage solely because there were no leftovers for them to take home from the BBQ they invited themselves to hours earlier.
Cut back to 4th grade Timmy, or Suzy. They have personalities of their own. But rejoice also knowing that they are human. Humans respond to stimuli, positive and negative. So put away the “You’re a bad parent” hat that mainstream media sent you in the mail, and know you have an edge.
You could succumb to the beautiful people on TV and hope it works itself out on autopilot.
Just make sure you help Timmy make his tree fort in the backyard when he is 35, so he can go smoke weed he purchased from the proceeds of selling your perfectly good lawnmower while you were on vacation.