Tedium

Today we gave each of the kids a set of homework pages to do, as we do every day.

The girls did their work within an hour, and Rocky has been laboring away for two and a half hours now, and he finally finished the first page. Here is his method for efficient completion of his schoolwork.

*Stare at page: 3 minutes
Read problem: 1 minute
Watch dog drink water: 2 minutes
Stare out window: 2 minutes
Re-read problem: 1 minute
Stare out window: 3 minutes
Tell sister what she should do: 2 minutes
Ask Mom for a definition. When she tells you to look it up, fake it and try to fool her into telling you the correct answer.
Argue with sister about your attempt to fool Mom: 3 minutes
Cover your ears and yell "it'snoneofyourbusiness" 43 times: 1 minute
Re-read problem: 1 minute
Write incorrect answer: 30 seconds
Read next problem: 1 minute
Watch bird at birdfeeder: 3 minutes
Stare at page: 2 minutes
Realize first problem was incorrect. Repeat from * two times; finally get correct answer to first problem. Write the correct answer to first problem in the answer space for second problem. Move on to Problem 3.
Stare at page: 3 minutes.

I sincerely wonder how these homeschooling parents do it without snatching themselves bald.