I believe your problem is quite common. I am a mother of three, however, mine are grown, and still growing. Have been through it all I can tell you, and to spite all that is thrown at you as a mother, they turned out not without problems, but perfect and good hearted. I have two sons, both that took longer to mature. The youngest has a 130 I.Q, and A.D.D. He had such a hard time in school. Really, both boys did. My daughter no, who is the oldest. Boys, do grow out of it, but it can take up and over high school. So, it has nothing to do with intelligence. Sometimes, the ones that are the most creative beings, have trouble focusing on tedious tasks. I suggest, that you teach compromise. Such as you can go out and play, but at this time, then we have to get down to business and stick to it. Show him the clock and tell him when the hands get here, we need to start our work, if you buckle down, you can probably finish quickly, and then you have more time to play. I also would not use words such as work, because work seems negative, perhaps use a substitute, like a time to focus, so you will feel good you have completed the tasks your teacher would like you to and you will feel soooo good about yourself. If you use the word work, have him learn early, working is fun. You can give examples like, mommy does work all day, but I like my work, so it is fun, and I like that you can come home and see my work. I like to see your work. I wouldn't get too upset about it, he is in 1st grade, and nowadays there are a lot of demands too early for children to learn. Everyone learns at the perfect time. Don't fall into the trap of the competitive mom. I used to see that all the time, and those that were doing well in grade school and even into high school were not garenteed success, believe me!! Just chill, and remember what it was like to be a kid. They want to play. It's important to set structure AND even more important to enjoy these younger stages, cause....the as they grow, so do the concerns. Blessings Always