Wow how do you juggle both homework and Kumon? Overload?

[Anonymous]

You misunderstood my post. Does completing Kumon Calculus mean that the school you are enrolled in will allow you to take a totally different math class from the rest of the grade?

All depends on the level of enlightenment and bureaucracy at the school a kid is at. There are some enlightened principals and settings that develop cerative alternatives for these kids on a case by case basis.

The premier American universities and colleges at the next level no longer require a high school diploma to matriculate recognizing our public school systems are antequated for the 21st century. Unaccommodating public school systems are increasingly losing these kids and others behind them to other challenging alternative educational options. And it's great there are pathways to our great universities that do not require an outmoded cookie cutter public school high school education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Wow, three posts in a row, you are worked up. Yes, I played as a child. I also read for pleasure, a lot. No one told me what to read, no one forced me to do worksheets or whatever on top of the homework I had. I had fun -- playing, reading, exploring. I did well in school and went to Yale. I've done just fine with my life, thank you, and am so grateful my parents allowed me to have a childhood.

Barely literate? Really?

Great, the kid likes math and the parents force him to do Calculus by water boarding and assorted torture. It's legal. I'm sure you were solely self-directed through school and didn't need your parents help, guidance or direction. Lucky you.

By the way, when were you at Yale and what College?

Not saying my class or residential college, sorry, don't want to identify myself. Nice straw man --- "its legal." As if anyone is saying otherwise. The thing is back in the day most of us didn't have our parents providing "help guidance or direction," unless we hit some kind of roadblock and needed extra help. My parents didn't choose my high school classes, didn't have parent-teacher conferences, and didn't oversee my homework. If my grades were fine, they didn't need to. I didn't know a single child whose parents sent them to Kumon, or tried to get them to do calculus by 8th grade, and I grew up here and attended a big 3 school. My guess is that most of the folks on these boards had a similar childhood, without parents pushing them ahead. Honestly, I think we were better off. If your child isn't "self-directed," as you say, they aren't going to get that way with you doing the directing. Kids become self-driected when they, um, direct for themselves. Which is my point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

The premier American universities and colleges at the next level no longer require a high school diploma to matriculate recognizing our public school systems are antequated for the 21st century. Unaccommodating public school systems are increasingly losing these kids and others behind them to other challenging alternative educational options. And it's great there are pathways to our great universities that do not require an outmoded cookie cutter public school high school education.

Huh? based on what? I suspect most of the kids at the top colleges are from public schools. Do you have numbers to back this up?

[Anonymous]

Try reading issues of the Chronicle of Higher Education (excellent resource) or doing searches for trend information about distribution of public, private, home-schooled and dual enrolled students in our finest universities over the last 25 years. Each university web site also has information on the admission requirements and prerequisites where you can confirm any high school diploma requirement info.

[Anonymous]

I would change schools if my expensive private school wouldn't teach my child math and my best option is to spend more money to send him for more hours to a storefront in a strip mall. Why would you except this from the school?

[Anonymous]

Not saying my class or residential college, sorry, don't want to identify myself. Nice straw man --- "its legal." As if anyone is saying otherwise. The thing is back in the day most of us didn't have our parents providing "help guidance or direction," unless we hit some kind of roadblock and needed extra help. My parents didn't choose my high school classes, didn't have parent-teacher conferences, and didn't oversee my homework. If my grades were fine, they didn't need to. I didn't know a single child whose parents sent them to Kumon, or tried to get them to do calculus by 8th grade, and I grew up here and attended a big 3 school. My guess is that most of the folks on these boards had a similar childhood, without parents pushing them ahead. Honestly, I think we were better off. If your child isn't "self-directed," as you say, they aren't going to get that way with you doing the directing. Kids become self-driected when they, um, direct for themselves. Which is my point.

We are in the 21st century and I'm sure you will disagree with me ... I doubt you would ever get into Yale today (from a statistical perspective). I certainly would not have. In the last century most of us did not even know what the SAT was until the 10th grade in high school (I certainly did not) much less Kumon. But much has changed and my 21st kids do not know what a slide rule or type- writer is (just as in my day, I did not know what a computer was or video games). But, if 21st century kids in the D.C. area are doing Kumon, violin drills or lacrosse drills why should it bother you? Expose you kids to what pleases you ...or not.. laissez faire style like your parents. That's your call. It's legal. The parents of the Kumon child doesn't fret as much about your choices for your kids as you fret about them. I wonder why?

[Anonymous]

I would change schools if my expensive private school wouldn't teach my child math and my best option is to spend more money to send him for more hours to a storefront in a strip mall. Why would you except this from the school?

I would follow your inclinations. Some are not trying to keep up with the Jones and may choose not to follow you. Win-win.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:[ But, if 21st century kids in the D.C. area are doing Kumon, violin drills or lacrosse drills why should it bother you? Expose you kids to what pleases you ...or not.. laissez faire style like your parents. That's your call. It's legal. The parents of the Kumon child doesn't fret as much about your choices for your kids as you fret about them. I wonder why?

NP here. I don't see anyone "fretting' here. You offered stupid advice; the poster from Yale critiqued it and offered a different POV. The best universities aren't looking for students who have done the same thing everyone else has done only faster. That's not what exceptional intelligence or talent looks like or how it's nurtured.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Not saying my class or residential college, sorry, don't want to identify myself. Nice straw man --- "its legal." As if anyone is saying otherwise. The thing is back in the day most of us didn't have our parents providing "help guidance or direction," unless we hit some kind of roadblock and needed extra help. My parents didn't choose my high school classes, didn't have parent-teacher conferences, and didn't oversee my homework. If my grades were fine, they didn't need to. I didn't know a single child whose parents sent them to Kumon, or tried to get them to do calculus by 8th grade, and I grew up here and attended a big 3 school. My guess is that most of the folks on these boards had a similar childhood, without parents pushing them ahead. Honestly, I think we were better off. If your child isn't "self-directed," as you say, they aren't going to get that way with you doing the directing. Kids become self-driected when they, um, direct for themselves. Which is my point.

We are in the 21st century and I'm sure you will disagree with me ... I doubt you would ever get into Yale today (from a statistical perspective). I certainly would not have. In the last century most of us did not even know what the SAT was until the 10th grade in high school (I certainly did not) much less Kumon. But much has changed and my 21st kids do not know what a slide rule or type- writer is (just as in my day, I did not know what a computer was or video games). But, if 21st century kids in the D.C. area are doing Kumon, violin drills or lacrosse drills why should it bother you? Expose you kids to what pleases you ...or not.. laissez faire style like your parents. That's your call. It's legal. The parents of the Kumon child doesn't fret as much about your choices for your kids as you fret about them. I wonder why?

You are right, I probably wouldn't get into Yale today. Even the best students who have done Kumon drills from the cradle are unlikely to get into Yale today because they are looking for far more than good students. But thats OK, because there are so many terrific colleges -- they've all upped their game since my day. You've posted before, I recognize the style of writing and the lacrosse references. You are always very defensive about your approach (odd that you refer to me as "fretting") and feel the need to attack those of us who aren't drilling our kids with worksheets, generally with insults to our and our children's intelligence. Of course its legal -- there's your straw man again. But you do know that this is not typical, don't you? I have an older child and ic an tell you how the kids regard the ones whose parents push you in the manner you are pushing your kids. They have a mixture of pity for the pressure the kids are under and a lack of respect because those kids' successes seem concocted. The students who follow genuine intellectual passions, those are the ones who earn the respect of their peers. Some have posted about Kumon kids doing calculus by 8th grade. How about studies about how they are doing as adults? Isn't that what we care about?

[Anonymous]

Yes, I have read the boards too like you and some posters do make a lot of sense. Sorry if I do not reference all of them by footnote. Not worth the trouble. Keep on with your speculations. Why do parents who do not use Kumon for their kids make the most noise? When kids get to Carnegie by 8th Grade or on the Pro Scouts radar no one makes this type of fuzz. Kumon has been around for 50 years (math curricula and schools come andgo with the trade winds).Kumon parents must quietly marvel at all the attention you give them. Please keep it up since given the backlash from posters like you Kumon will certainly be around for another 50 years!

[Anonymous]

I would never want a job for either my spouse or for me that required us to work so much that we weren't able to enjoy evenings and weekends with our kids and each other just being a family. I don't care how much money/success this job would bring. The trade-off would not be worth it. Instead, I work pt and DH is home by 6:30 most evenings and almost never works on the weekends. We earn enough to live in a nice house in a nice neighborhood, send our kids to private school, save for retirement and college, take nice vacations and have a lifestyle that, while not totally lavish, allows us to not have to watch our pennies. Sure, we could both work more and earn more, but we prefer our time over the extra money and prestige we could earn.

By the same token, I want my kids to enjoy their lives and childhoods. I trust our well-regarded private school to teach them math at an appropriate level. If they fall behind, we'd certainly hire a tudor, but I will not consider enrolling them in Kumon or anything else so they can get ahead. I don't see the point and I honestly don't understand the thinking behind this kind of mentality. I don't think my kids will ever resent me for not pushing calculus at an earlier age. I would be concerned that they'd resent me for filling their childhoods with work.

[Anonymous]

Yes, I have read the boards too like you and some posters do make a lot of sense. Sorry if I do not reference all of them by footnote. Not worth the trouble. Keep on with your speculations. Why do parents who do not use Kumon for their kids make the most noise? When kids get to Carnegie by 8th Grade or on the Pro Scouts radar no one makes this type of fuzz. Kumon has been around for 50 years (math curricula and schools come andgo with the trade winds).Kumon parents must quietly marvel at all the attention you give them. Please keep it up since given the backlash from posters like you Kumon will certainly be around for another 50 years!

I have read the boards on this topic and some posters tease these frantic and desperate posters. It very obvious why these posters are up in arms? Check the pedigree ... Big 3 and Yale. In sociology and anthropology circles we call this the fear of the increasing noise from the pounding hooves gaining on them in the background. Posters are very concerned their children will not enjoy their entitlements of yesteryear because of the invasion of "Kumon kids". This drives them absolutely bonkers as they go around and around in circles bashing and rationalizing their choices. They would prefer other kids did not do Kumon, prep for tests, or study all the time so their kids can have "fun and play", vacation and go to the country club en route to Big 3 and the Ivies.

[Anonymous]

I would never want a job for either my spouse or for me that required us to work so much that we weren't able to enjoy evenings and weekends with our kids and each other just being a family. I don't care how much money/success this job would bring. The trade-off would not be worth it. Instead, I work pt and DH is home by 6:30 most evenings and almost never works on the weekends. We earn enough to live in a nice house in a nice neighborhood, send our kids to private school, save for retirement and college, take nice vacations and have a lifestyle that, while not totally lavish, allows us to not have to watch our pennies. Sure, we could both work more and earn more, but we prefer our time over the extra money and prestige we could earn.

By the same token, I want my kids to enjoy their lives and childhoods. I trust our well-regarded private school to teach them math at an appropriate level. If they fall behind, we'd certainly hire a tudor, but I will not consider enrolling them in Kumon or anything else so they can get ahead. I don't see the point and I honestly don't understand the thinking behind this kind of mentality. I don't think my kids will ever resent me for not pushing calculus at an earlier age. I would be concerned that they'd resent me for filling their childhoods with work.

I have read the boards on this topic and some posters tease these frantic and desperate posters. It very obvious why these posters are up in arms? Check the pedigree ... Big 3 and Yale. In sociology and anthropology circles we call this the fear of the increasing noise from the pounding hooves gaining on them in the background. Posters are very concerned their children will not enjoy their entitlements of yesteryear because of the invasion of "Kumon kids". This drives them absolutely bonkers as they go around and around in circles bashing and rationalizing their choices. They would prefer other kids did not do Kumon, prep for tests, or study all the time so their kids can have "fun and play", vacation and go to the country club en route to Big 3 and the Ivies.

I am not sure why she feels anyone is pushing her to put her kids in Kumon. She says she has the perfect life and schooling (Big 3 and Yale). She and her husband are happy. I am sure she would want the same for her children. It's bizarre she is behaving like her world is threatened by "Kumon kid". Why all the fuzz over another's kid if she is so convinced this kid will not amount to anything in the long-run but an unhappy fela.

[Anonymous]

Wait -- who's bonkers?

[Anonymous]

Kumon mom is sock puppeting.