Homework Battles

Homework. Just the word alone can cause most any child to break out in the whines and any parent want to hide in a closet. Its dreaded...its avoided...and yes I know (for you teachers out there) I know that it is needed. Doesn't mean I have to like it. Losing an hour or more (usually more) of my afternoon to homework battles is not my idea of fun.
I call them battles...but really its more about a fight for attention. Quirky's attention. By the afternoon Quirky can quite often be out there...maybe you know what I mean. Maybe you've been there with your child. If not then let me explain.

Not only is Quirky's focus gone (LONG GONE!) but often this is the time that some of Quirky's more unusual behaviors often appear. I've learned many tricks along this homework journey:
1. we chew gum...to curb the need to lick Mom's hand or her own hand (and yes its happened)
2. we turn off anything that might make noise...including the icemaker.
3. we take lots of mini-breaks ( jump-jacks and speed pacing seem to work)
4. we always eat a snack first...I think her teacher probably wouldn't appreciate food all over everything and with Quirky that is where it would be.
5. I try to not have on anything shiny...so off goes the jewelry.

Today however this was new...she has never done this before...I am left wondering if this is going to be a reoccuring thing. I hope not. Things had started out well...we made it through Spelling and had moved on to Social Studies. We were almost done...we were in the home stretch. I had my hands on the table (probably not a good idea) holding the book we were reading together. She was listening...she was focused. I thought she was focused...I thought she was listening.
No. Apparently she could contain herself no more...she just had to know...there really was no other way to find out. She bent her head down real close and started sniffing...my hands that is. Not nearly as intrusive as say licking them...but still. I had made a obvious mistake in this homework battle. I had washed the snack dishes before we started homework. With Orange Scented Soap. What was I thinking...so I guess you can figure out what the new rule is going to be.