Lord I pray that you grant these parents patience and steadfastness in this difficult time. Let them always strive to treat their son with compassion and understanding and letting him know that they love him and that You love him, also. I pray for their son, that he he realizes that you call us all to be the best we can be and to use his talents for your glory. With your grace, O Jesus, this family can emerge stronger and more faithful to you. Amen.
Personally speaking, I can feel for you. It was in the fifth grade that I started doing the exact same things your son is doing now in terms of grades, not paying attention, not doing homework, etc. I didn’t pull out of it until I was a Junior in high school. My parents were incredibly frustrated and tried basically solitary confinement for six weeks, to physical punishment, to enticements and rewards. I wanted to do better, I truly did. For short periods of time, I would, but they were not sustained. The only thing that finally made me try harder was when I realized that I was not getting into college, something I wanted badly. Looking back, I honestly think that I had A.D.D. I’ve never been tested for it, and back in the 70s and 80s they hadn’t heard of such a thing, but from what I have read, the symptoms are very similar to what I experienced. If you haven’t had him checked for that, you might. Be wary of medication, though. I wouldn’t start a child on Ritalin at all. You may just have to be extra-involved with his teachers and have them make sure they notify you of every missed assignment, homework, whatever. Be loving with him, but let it be known that you are going to help him stay on top of his schoolwork. It may get frustrating for him at times, but without it, he may fall behind too far to be able to recover until late in his school years. God bless you and your family.
