Working with a Stubborn Child

My fifth-grader is a very stubborn child. He never budges an inch when he thinks that he is correct. While we find this very annoying at home, his teacher this year is very impatient and not very nice when he digs in his heels because the child believes that he is correct. The teacher is tired of his continual arguing over the correctness of his views. How can we turn this around? -- Not the Teacher's Favorite
Answer:You need to tell your son that you are supportive of his having his own ideas. You don't want to crush him for expressing his views. At the same time, he needs to learn when and how to make a point when there is a disagreement.
One possible solution for the classroom, that could work at home too, is for him to write down what his disagreements with the teacher are. Then the teacher could give him five minutes in the morning and another five in the afternoon to discuss only one issue in a one-on-one conversation. He chooses the issue to be discussed. Later on, as your son realizes his views are being heard, this discussion time can be reduced.