Homework Woes

Madeleine has been procrastinating on doing her homework lately, because she understandably wants time to play when she gets home from school.  However, Madeleine, just like her father, tends to lose all track of time when doing something she enjoys.  Hence, she frequently winds up having a panicked melt-down when it's time to go to swim or to bed because she hasn't done her required timed silent reading.

Ethan had a long talk with her about this on the walk to school this morning, and she came up with a great new plan.  She filled me in when I picked her up this afternoon.

MADELEINE: Mommy!  I came up with a GREAT idea for how to do my homework!  So, I'm gonna play American Girls, but my dolls will be doing their reading time!

Well now, what a great way to kill two birds with one stone.  She can do her reading but still play dolls at the same time!

At 3:30, we had this exchange.

ME: So do you want to do your reading before or after swim?
MADELEINE: Before!
ME: Okay, well we have to leave in about 45 minutes, so why don't you go do it now?
MADELEINE: Okay! (scampering off to her bedroom)

At 4:00, we had this exchange:

ME: Okay, we need to get ready for swim in 10 minutes!
MADELEINE: (hysterically) But I didn't do my reading yet!!
ME: Then what have you been doing?!?

This is what she had been doing:

So in setting up her brilliant plan to get her homework done without running out of time and having a panicked melt-down, she ran out of time and had a panicked melt-down.

We went late to swim.  Utter success.