Creatively Getting It Done

Since it has been nice out, we have had a harder and harder time getting Alex to settle down, stay inside and finish his homework. I will add that I think the amount of homework for a 1st grader is a bit ridiculous, but I digress. So, the theme has been- he runs home from the bus stop, gets his bike and we don't see him until dinner at which time he inhales his food as fast as he possibly can and races back outside, then it gets dark, we call him in and battle with him until way past his bedtime to get his homework done. Phew, it's exhausting. So, we decided that he will not be allowed to go outside and play until his homework is done. Day 1 of this went fairly well with minimal whining. Day 2 he came home and loudly (and proudly) announced that his homework was already done, so he was going outside. I stopped him and asked to see this completed work. Well, I will say it was done and correct, but NOT in Alex's handwriting. So I asked him how this was done and he finally admitted that his 5th grade friend on the bus did it for him. Of course, I did the responsible thing and erased it all and made him do it over. But as I was thinking about it, sometimes it is ok to reward creativity and ingenuity in getting tasks done. After all, that is what will someday make him successful, right? Alex has always been our creative one with a million made up stories and ideas that can make your head spin. Too bad this time he wasn't smart enough to write the answers himself.