The difference between boys and girls...

Okay, not the obvious difference. But, I have already experienced what will be a major difference between my son and daughter - the willingness to do homework (at least if it involves coloring). Camon made it through the first three days of kindergarten without a homework assignment. Last night, he told me that he had some homework to do and it was to be returned today. So, as soon as we got home, I sat him at the table and opened his homework folder. Isabelle wanted "homework" too. So, I got her a coloring sheet and wrote her name real big at the top. Camon's assignment seemed easy enough. He had to answer 4 questions about himself for a show-and-tell project today. He answered them easily and even wrote the answers in by himself (with a little spelling help from mom). However, he expected that to be the end. But, the rest of the directions said to color the pictures under the sentences. Maybe I need to back up to Wednesday when he told me that he loved school, but hated art. He said he did not like to draw or color, that was so boring. This is my child that will take a coloring book into church, and flip through looking at the pages quietly the whole service but never open the crayon box. So, this was no surprise to me. What was a surprise was how much he REALLY HATES to COLOR! The assignment that should have been completed in 5 minutes, took him 45 with all of the complaining. He hated coloring, it was too hard, he couldn't stay in the lines, it took too long to color a picture, the list goes on and on. About 20 minutes into this session, the teacher in me was saying in my head, "I want him to like homework. Keep homework fun. Homework is a necessity. Never say "can't". You can do it." However, the irritated, frustrated, impatient mother in me was fighting that teacher mentality pretty hard. I was proud of myself though. I was a calm, encourager. But, the funniest part was when Isabelle was finished with 2 coloring pages and she looked at Camon and said, "Just give it to me, and let me color it." To which I of course responded, "No. It is his work and he is going to do it." And Camon then responded, "But, wouldn't that be much easier Mom." After 45 minutes, he finally had it colored. But, I am convinced that it is going to be a long road with him. Maybe coloring will be outlawed in schools soon and I think he will be fine with the reading, writing, and arithmetic. But, until then I think our homework days are going to be tiresome.