Liz, when my boy was between 12 and 18 months or so, he went through a period where he wasn’t so interested in reading. If the problem is that the kid isn’t motivated to learn in the way you’re trying to teach…then don’t try to teach that way! Try something else!
But between 18 and 24 months, my boy learned his ABCs, started spelling words with refrigerator magnets, and I discovered Titzer and Doman. We first started showing him “Your Baby Can Read” and at the same time my flashcards (http://www.mediafire.com/FleschCards). Within a few months he was already reading whole simple sentences in the simplest books. My point is that my little boy didn’t actually start reading until he was a couple months older than yours is now. So to me, when you say you want to give up, I say, “Give up before one of the prime times to start?”
If the problem is that you personally don’t have time to prepare materials or teach your son, I can relate. I’m very busy (which is why I’ve taken a break from this website for many months) and haven’t been able to do as much for my son’s education as I have done in the past. But remember that there are lots of good learning materials already made out there, ready for you to use. The Titzer videos are great, for instance. If you feel like you have to carefully handcraft cards exactly as Doman specified, well…ya don’t. There’s nothing magical, much less scientifically proven, about Doman’s specific methods. You can feel free to try variations…I did. So did many other people. Look for my powerpoint presentations, for instance, free on this website to download.
I find that when I get to a “stuck” place in life, it helps to re-examine my assumptions and change or give up one of the assumptions. If you were finding you lacked time just because you spent too many hours making Doman-style cards, because you believed what you read about the terrible effects of screen time on young children, maybe it’s time to re-examine your views on the sensible use of screen time. Get YBCR and start using Little Reader or free powerpoint presentations.
But frankly, if you have only a small amount of time for “educational” type activities with your boy, I would say the top priority is reading. It’s more important than flash cards, hands down–my opinion.
Also, if your mother is going to watch the kid, have you asked her to do these activities with him? If not it can’t hurt to ask, and if she resists you can tell her how important it is to her. Show her some YouTube videos of “success stories” and you may motivate her.