HELP!!! Child Driving Us Nuts!!!

[raptor_rider]

My daughter is driving us nuts!! She is in the third grade, smart as a whip, however just goofs off in class. She has had "refocuses" (when the child acts up in school, they are sent to another class to fill out a form asking why they acted up, what they will do in the future to prevent this, etc..) lots of homework because she will not do it in class, a whole bunch of things. Here at home, she has has all of her privileges taken away. No t.v., no games, & no computer. Her only play time is with her toys (heaven forbid!!) and reading. Luckily she is totally into "Harry Potter" and I have all of the books. She is half-way through the first book, and she is reading it too (I have read them many times and have been testing her on it.)
She has had some major changes in her life. Her grandparents (my parents) moved 250 miles away, who took care of her while I worked for the first 5 years of her life. Then I had a sister living next door with two cousins that she used to play with that moved away last year just right after I got married. (She calls him Daddy, she has never known her real father as to where he abused her during a supervised visitation when she was 8 months old. She loves my husband, and he like her, like a father, because he is the man that is raising her.) I met my husband when she was just first starting First Grade. She did fine. After we were together for some months, we got married last July. With my sister moving, we moved her into a different school, where my husband was able to take her to school and pick her up at the times needed. (We live in the country, and with him working in the city, it was easier. I work more hours than he and across town.) She had some trouble in second grade. Thought she would not make it into third, however she pulled it together. The school that she was at was not the greatest school, so we decided to put her back into the school she was before. Now they are talking of putting her into a remedial class for the third grade, since the school that she was at with the studies, she is not up to par. We agreed, however the teacher of the remedial class thinks that she is too far advanced for it.
She is not ADHD or ADD. She just wants attention. My M-I-L is a naturophathic doctor and we are treating her emotions accordingly.
She is smart, very smart! She just doesn't want to do work, in class or at home.
I need advise. She is my only one and we are stuck on what else we should do!! :cry:

[raptor_rider]

1. So Sad

have to kick!
:kick:

[KitchenWitch]

2. Do you think it is a motivation problem?

My son was a lot like that, he just started his freshman year in HS. He would do very well on exams and stuff, but just terrible on turning his homework in...I tried EVERYTHING.

Now he seems to be able to motivate himself. He has turned almost every assignment in on time, and currently has a 3.68 GPA on a 4.0 scale.

I do not know what to tell you.

Maybe try to get her a "day planner" that is age appropriate. And talk to her teachers about what they can do to motivate her.

[yellowdogintexas]

3. very bright kids are usually just plain bored, especially at

that level.

They absolutely see no point in doing the work, sometimes simplye because it is "too easy"

Mine was notorious for not turning in the work after it was done.

Is she artistic: does she like to draw, write, day dream a lot?

The heavily right brained child just functions totally differently.

Mine was never motivated to do anything in school unless she totally loved the teacher, or totally loved the subject. The classes that truly "moved" her vary greatly: Honors Art in 8th grade, Biology in 7th and 8th grade, Honors World Geography in 9th grade, Honors World History in 10th grade, the entire 4th and 5th grade year because the teachers "got" her and she really liked them, and her 9th grade English teacher.

She is a gifted artist, and apprenticed herself to a tattoo artist to learn to use her art in a way that would make her some money. She is slowly increasing her income and is very happy. No higher education for her. Barely finished highschool.

I hope this doesn't discourage you, I just meant for you to know that there are a zillion reasons why a child won't do his/her school work.
She has had a lot of lifestyle changes and those are always difficult, even when they are good changes.

Maybe a counselor: (not school counselor)??

[WCGreen]

4. Sounds like me.....

When I was that age....

This may sound stupid, but have her eyes and hearing checked......