Why I hired a tutor

My days were beginning to feel a lot like helping Barney Fife remember the Preamble, a lot of work for not a lot of result. It was time to call in the cavalry. The cavalry at our house comes in the form of a 16 year old high school sophomore who my sons adore.

He shows up every Wednesday afternoon at 3:15 and stays for an hour and a half. Wednesdays are my new favorite day of the week. The living room gets clean because he needs it for teaching space, and I need a reason to get things done. My two eldest sons do their work all week so that they can show their hero what they have learned.

He spent an hour yesterday teaching #2 how to divide decimals. I had beaten my head against that wall all week without making a dent. An hour after the tutor arrived, my son understood about those “little dots”, where to put them and how to use them. #3 is writing legibly after being shown how to hold a pencil “the cool way” and the “shortcuts” to making his letters. I showed him those things and he ignored me. The tutor shows them and that’s the way it should be done.

Am I upset that they learn from a 16 year old boy better than they do from me? Nope. It’s temporary motivation. I am learning that boys need a role model to follow, an example to emulate. I’m just glad I found one who is willing to come and spend an hour with my sons teaching them the things they don’t want to learn from me. It’s the best money I’ve ever spent on pampering myself. Peace of mind – priceless.

(The video is dedicated with love to my good friend Peace who lets me call her when the duck is chasing me.)