I'm home schooled and haven't done any work this year, please help?

Question

I started home school for the first time ever. I'm in year/grade 9. I'm a computer addict, I spend almost all my time on it, even if I just sit here bored. I've become totally anti-social, I've done no school work except for my exams this year. I can't find a motive to get me motivated. Even the fear of repeating the entire grade/year. I'm in Australia, so school starts at the end of January and finishes in early December. I have done a few things, but I didn't put any effort into it and got 2% on my maths work once... I'm letting my parents down. Dad was away for 6 months and I kept lying to mum that I was doing my school work. I even got these inactivity letters which I check in the mail every time I can and chuck the letter out.

I really need a motive or something to change this extremely awful habbit I've grown into. I've tried asking mum if I can go back to normal school, because their, I will have friends and teachers to force me to do my work. I get angry easily, am I mental?

^(Ran out of characters)^

As I was saying, I get angry easily and I'm also extremely lazy. I never help around the house, I'm messy and everything. I go to sleep late, get up late, pretend I'm on my phone lessons. (I live in a shed which has been made into a house... actually quite comfy).

The thing with telling my mum, she is also very lazy. She spends most of her day sleep or working shift time. She only answers phones, it's not like that tires her greatly. I get angry at mum, she tells my dad to 'deal with it'. What made me most of all, is something she said a few days ago: "If you don't do your work, I will send you to the library every day to do it under the supervision of the libraryen" (sp?). Instead of her supervising me if I'm not doing my work, she will send me to the library. I mean, what the fu**? Thanks for all your kind advice guys, and I found the first comment funny ;)

I'm in Queensland by the way.

Also forgot to say: It will be really hard for me to quit the computer, because I play Lord Of The Rings Online and I'm trying to keep up on levels so my friend doesn't get too far ahead. Well, at least the game will always be there.

Thanks for that site, Nicole. I'll check it out, contact the school and research it. It seems pretty good. Just have to ask them about Australians.

I'm in Queensland. And it's so good to have found someone that is/has been going through the same as me. I assume you go to BSDE (Brisbane School of Distance Education)? And it would be great for you to share the resources or whatever, Alice. Thank you all for the excellent advice.

I'm still day dreaming about my first kiss, Answerer :D I usually have enthusiasm to do something, such as school work, but then it's gone 5 minutes later :\ Thanks for all the replies so far, I'll try and update my question ASAP. Going to bed soon though.

At normal school, I actually sat down and did my work. Since I've been home schooled, I've just become lazy. Mum wont let me go back to school because she got to many phone calls from the school about my behavior. Which is bullsh**. 5 calls in the whole year. I'm very grateful for all the advice, though all of you don't know my mum. And shes not one to try and prove wrong. She screams, argues, and always says I shouldn't have argued with her WHEN I was right. But when I try to say that to her, she just screams some more.

Answer 1

You are not alone in the responsibility of home schooling. Your parents are to be guiding and helping you. Go to them. It is their responsibility to supervise, teach and help you in this. If you are at home alone most of the time, they are not doing their job and you should be enrolled in school.

Answer 2

To be honset, in real school teachers don't care either. They don't force you to do your work because then that means that they would have to check it. Teachers get paid no matter what, well, here in the US A they get paid for sitting on their butts and doing nothing.

My advice, why not homeschool online, you're already on the computer anyway. www.flvs.net is a public online school that is based in FL, USA but they take students from around the world...check out their site. www.flvs.net And because they are a public school, you wont have to pay because it's free. It's great it you would rather be on the computer, because you won't have to open a book. The assignments are already online. All you would have to do is read the mini lesson and complete a digital worksheet that is ABCD and you click on the right answer. Or you would have to type up your answers and email it to your teacher. I think that the minimum amount of assignments that you would have to do a week is 2-4. It depends on the class. Like I said before, check out the website and see if you can do it.

Oh, and you will have a teacher that will contantly call you and make sure that you are keeping up with the class. They send letters and you have to call your teacher once a month. The teacher will be the one grading your online work. You won't have to physically mail any letters to them. It's all done on the computer. The teacher will always be there if you have a question. They send you emails regularly and it's really great.

Answer 3

I'm kinda the same way but I was a grade ahead so now I'm in the right grade again except in math- I'm a year ahead in that :)

I'm well I'm obviously on the computer right now, and I'm rather lazy. The only thing that keeps me going is knowing that I can't get into college if I don't get my work done and I can't get a fun career without going to college. Plus I don't have much work to do anyways...

I've been homeschooled all my life. I'm shy and "anti social' with people at first but once I get to know people I'm loud and funny and I'm completely social, I don't know how you can not be social... I mean the only reason I don't have friends is because I am a strong Christian and no one likes that. Guys like me but girls usually don't haha.
Girls think I'm weird.. most do anyway. The few girls that don't end up ignoring me once I move away from them because they don't care, and I think that's how most kids in school are anyway so I don't think you'll really find that many great friends in school... all my firneds that have dissed me went to public school. The only ones that haven't are homeschooled.. funny isn't it? No you aren't mental you are just lazy trust me I know what it's like. I've found when I'm lazy thinking about something that really makes me happy and excited.. in your case maybe daydreaming about a guy or something and once I'm all excited and hyper I go like take a shower or get on my dad's excercise bike to keep the energy pumping. Drink energy sodas and stuff, and then at the peak of your hyperness do school. Oh and another thing if I hang around hyper people I get hyper (I know I'm easily influenced) just talking on the phone with them I'll get hyper. But if I talk to lazy people I get really tired and all I want to do is sleep. SO don't hang around lazy people on schooldays :D

Sorry can't be of much help.

Oh I get easily angered and I start sweating and hitting things when I have things to do and too little time to do it OR when I'm in a small and/or messy space and have a lot of work to do. So I'm angry a lot b/c I hate cleaning and our house is small -_- lol

Answer 4

I was in a similar predicament around June.
I'm from Queensland, Australia, and I'm in grade 8, my mother works day and night, so it's difficult for her to check I'm doing my work. And, I'm pretty anti-social and addicted to the computer as well. xD So I guess we have a a bit in common.
I didn't do much work, and spent all night, and all day on the computer.
Eventually, my mother checked all my work, and sent me back to a normal school where I had one of the worst experiences of my life.
Now, I'm back at homeschool (my doctors choice, as I'd become very depressed and withdrawn.) and doing loads of work every day.
My suggestion is, perhaps trying an online school. You could play your LOTR game online before, during (if you can multi-task) and after. If it helps you do a little more work, all the better.
Eventually, maybe doing both online and offline courses.
And with your Mum, it sounds like she isn't confident that she'd be of much help, and if you went to the library, you'd have lots of resources to help you study. And, if she's noticed how much you're online, it could help bring you away from that.
In my opinion, I think that you'd enjoy online courses more, but at the library you'd learn more.
And really, everyone says it, but your education is really, really important.

PS-
What state are you in, maybe I could help with resources and things? xP

Answer 5

I found school to be boring, too, and that was 50 years ago, before we had TV, iPods, computer games or MP3 players.

The only thing that will pull you out of your doldrums is to find SOMETHING else that interests you. Talking to your mum is useless; going back to public school won't change your attitude. In fact, no outside influence will do anything for you. You are the only person who can change you.

You are probably bored because you're a very bright person. Use the computer to search for something interesting instead of playing games. FIND another interest.

For me, photography and music got me interested in other things that would have bored me. The "trigger" could be almost anything. Creative people have said they shop at a new store, or visit somewhere they've never been to fight boredom.

Whatever works for you. The first thing you did right was to network with other people. Maybe you just need more social interaction to get your motor started. Whatever works.

Albert Einstein had trouble in school. I think it was with math, of all things. Read his biography. You might find direction there.

Good luck.

Answer 6

You don't sound mental... just addicted to computers. The only way you're going to break this addiction is to stop using your computers completely for at least two weeks minimum (don't worry, it's only a temporary vacation for you). You'll be 'forced' then to replace your computer addiction with other activities. And, hopefully, those activities will include both going back to school, getting outside and enjoying what's beyond the internet in the real world, and making a few new friends. I'm not sure why your mother isn't listening to you and sending you back to school - but maybe it's time for you to speak to your dad. Good luck!

Answer 7

you sound like me last year except I don't live in Australia and I wasn't home schooled. Anyways the thing you have to think about is what are you going to do after high school and if you don't make it anywhere are your parents going to let you stay with them this got me motivated and i hope it helps you

Answer 8

If you do not have the self control to do your work now, going to school will not make it better. Teachers do not and cannot "force" you to do your work.

I guarantee you this, if you are choosing not to do any work now, your problems in this area will multiply if and when you do go to regular school.

You recognize that you have a problem in this area, so take the next step and do something about it.

Why don't you come clean with your mum and tell her that (1) you lied to her and didn't really do all the work you said you'd done and (2) that you are really struggling in the motivation department and would she please lean harder on you or help you find the motivation to do your work.

Here's the thing.. you have motivation: you don't want to let your parents down. I think that your having lied to them (thus living a deception), your inability to choose to leave the computer... those things have you frustrated... you are angry with yourself... and perhaps with your mum for not "forcing" you to work... that could explain your frequent anger outbursts.

Why not come clean with your mum... and get a big timer, and set it. And make a goal with yourself... "I will finish X number of pages, before the timer goes off."

Something that has helped me immensely in the past, is to choose to bring the discipline down on myself. If I spend more nine hours on the computer, then I "fast" the computer for a month. Whoo! That's tough... but I accomplish so much!

I'm not disparaging public school. It may, indeed, be a good thing... but "prove" to yourself and to your mum that you can handle it... that you will be in charge of your learning. Because if you aren't the one in charge of your own learning, nobody else will be able to fill that position for you.

**Edit**
Hon, if you know what you need to do, then do it! You are whining about how lazy you are and you are blaming everyone but yourself. If you go back to regular school and are lazy, will you then blame your teachers?
Yes, breaking out of a comfortable habit is hard. Welcome to the real world. You are angry because you are not growing and progressing. Be careful whom you direct your anger at. You've named the problem and you've identified the culprit. What are YOU going to do about what YOU know YOU have to do?

Answer 9

This is not a good thing, you are wasting your young life. Why is your mom not monitoring your school work? Your mom sounds like the problem, she doesn't want to deal with any of this, sit down and have a heart to heart with her, tell her you WANT to go to school, don't let your brain die!

Answer 10

Mmmm, you remind me of my daughter in some ways. My son, now in college, was my auditory learner so his study time was spent with me. I always knew what he understood and where he was in the curriculum. But, my daughter was a very independent learner. She always wanted to study alone. For a while we both were working on the honor system where I allowed her to work independently and she was to ask for help if she needed it. We set up a schedule and she was to keep to it. I frequently asked her how she was doing and she would always say she was doing fine. When it came time for her to turn in her work for her her work sample deadline (set number of best work examples from each course turned in every two months), she said she couldn't find the work. Mmmmmm. When she disappeared into her room with the door closed for about 6 hours I knew exactly what was going on, but I went along with it. When she came out at the end of the day saying she found her work, I took the papers and pondered my next step. Within a day she was posting online what a cruel mom I was for making her do so many assignments in one day and how it took six hours to get them done. She never mentioned a word about how she was to have been doing them all along and she made me out to be the bad guy. LOL. However, I had it in print that it was not just a matter of finding them in her room and she was caught in her deception. That really woke us both up to how dangerous it was to not keep a tighter system of accountability in place. She is a good kid and normally quite mature, but the temptation to not get the work done and then tell a lie can catch even good kids.

Accountability is all you need... maybe accountability that is linked to your computer time. Don't guilt trip your mom. That is what my daughter tried to pull. Your mom trusted you which is admirable, but you both discovered that it is harder than you realized. Get back together on the same team and set accountability goals. If that doesn't work then find someone who will hold you (or both of you) accountable on at least a weekly basis if not daily. Here is a suggestion especially if your keyboard is wireless: turn your keyboard in to your mom. When you turn in your daily assignments, you get your keyboard.

Answer 11

your a typical teenager ,,,,,,,my son hasn't either unplug the PC and have someone hide the cord during certain hours that you can designate to your work and try to motivate yourself more like you are with the games try to make learning more fun by setting up a study time with a friend even if they are in regular school maybe you can use this to motivate you more just a suggestion unless you want to end up being a dummy and flunking think of the priorities here if your anger issues cause too much trouble in school you don't need to be there either just get off your butt and try to get motivated