During the 2016 Beijing trip, every morning we would demand boy finish his homework before we go out. He would drag his feet and do his homework with so much reluctance —
* If he could write 10 chars/minute, now it becomes 1 char/minute.
* Even with an adult supervising, he would reach 25% of his top productivity

Q: At this time, could we find an opportunity to praise him?
A: yes we can. Look for small improvements in attitude.

As a prerequisite, we have no choice but accept the inefficiency as status quo.

I think this is quite a tricky moment. It’s more than mere discipline. More like a wrestling match between parent and child. Be careful what you say to the child.

I know from experience that my son responds well to immediate, tangible rewards, and (to a lesser extent) praises by someone other than parents or grandparents. But I also know his “opamp” is “吃硬不吃软”. I tend to make the mistake of getting angry and threatening to use punishment. Instead, we could try * being strict
* state the consequences and deliver, such as “if you don’t finish by a certain time, then it will be too late to go out”.

I feel my son doesn’t react well to punishments. Warning (like the piano teacher Alex Chung) is somewhat better.