Homework that is busywork - does anyone else just say no?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What I don't get is why the pro-worksheet people care what the other parents do. Why are you threatened that we think our kids have better things to do than busywork? What does it matter to you? Your kid can do all the worksheets she wants.

Because I think it is despicable that a parent would purposefully cherry pick which assigned homework is worthy of being completed. Oh...and a thread was posted clearly seeking opinions. It isn't an either/or, ya know, you make it seem that those that do the work don't do quality family time. We did Easter eggs, Legos, a puzzle, family game, went on a walk, played an I spy game(board game), made a fort, had a family --all cooked with both parents and adults -- brunch, read, did a few errands...and still had time for a required journal, required reading, and required math sheets...all on the last day of break. And no, we didn't wait til the last minute...we did journal everyday, math everyday and reading daily.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

What I hear you saying is that you care more about your kid learning to "respect authority" than you do about the quality of his education or, more importantly, your time as a family. The premise here is that too much homework a) does not actually help kids learn; and b) interferes with family life by taking away our already limited time to do important things. We anti-busywork moms are not saying that our kids should be lazy or openly disrespectful to teachers - we are overseeing the quality of our kids educations. It is bizarre to me that you would just unthinkingly accept anything just because a teacher assigned it?

+1

+1

So strange to me that some think you have to have formal education training in order to have a valid opinion about your child's education.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"I've never seen my kid get excited about worksheets, or be motivated to ask more questions about a matching exercise. But he was fascinated to learn about how mixing colors creates different ones when we were coloring eggs this weekend. He learned about light, and the color spectrum. We brought out a prism and managed to break light down into several colors of the rainbow (not as easy to do as I had thought). He learned Roy G. Biv. We talked about refracting light and how it makes things look broken in the water. When a family has limited time together, and mine does because both parents work outside the home, I'd rather be able to spend time doing things that make my kid ask questions. That make him excited about learning."


You should be homeschooling. You sound like you'd be really good at it and it would be a good fit for your family.

I fortunately found a school that doesn't assign homework until 3rd grade. And it doesn't involve worksheets. At school or at home.

[Anonymous]

These are the kids who grow to be those insufferable entry-level hires at the office who think they're above doing the boring parts of their jobs.

[Anonymous]

Dont hate on OP. Give her a few years... She's a noob.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:These are the kids who grow to be those insufferable entry-level hires at the office who think they're above doing the boring parts of their jobs.

No, they will grow up to be the workers who know how to assess workflow and prioritize tasks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These are the kids who grow to be those insufferable entry-level hires at the office who think they're above doing the boring parts of their jobs.

No, they will grow up to be the workers who know how to assess workflow and prioritize tasks.

If they can manage to move up that far, what with the enormous entitled chips on their shoulders and all. Those of us who are currently in management positions find these young 'uns to be totally insufferable brats. When I get attitude like that, you can be damned sure I'm not handing you any choice assignments that would allow you to shine or going out of my way to help you. Pay your dues with a smile on your face or toil in the lower ranks for a long, long time. Or you know, leave.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These are the kids who grow to be those insufferable entry-level hires at the office who think they're above doing the boring parts of their jobs.

No, they will grow up to be the workers who know how to assess workflow and prioritize tasks.

If they can manage to move up that far, what with the enormous entitled chips on their shoulders and all. Those of us who are currently in management positions find these young 'uns to be totally insufferable brats. When I get attitude like that, you can be damned sure I'm not handing you any choice assignments that would allow you to shine or going out of my way to help you. Pay your dues with a smile on your face or toil in the lower ranks for a long, long time. Or you know, leave.

Who said anything about attitude? You are mixing up work skills with manners.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These are the kids who grow to be those insufferable entry-level hires at the office who think they're above doing the boring parts of their jobs.

No, they will grow up to be the workers who know how to assess workflow and prioritize tasks.

If they can manage to move up that far, what with the enormous entitled chips on their shoulders and all. Those of us who are currently in management positions find these young 'uns to be totally insufferable brats. When I get attitude like that, you can be damned sure I'm not handing you any choice assignments that would allow you to shine or going out of my way to help you. Pay your dues with a smile on your face or toil in the lower ranks for a long, long time. Or you know, leave.

Who said anything about attitude? You are mixing up work skills with manners.

No, I'm not. You just didn't comprehend my point. My point is that these kids who have great "work skills" but think they are too good for the work that I give them are never going to go anywhere in my organization, and I wouldn't lift a finger to help them. Read the bolded quote above. I am directly challenging your notion that kids who are taught that they can pick and choose which tasks are worthy of them grow up to be awesome workers. They often don't. They grow up to be smart kids with lots of skills but shitty attitudes that people HATE working with. If your 22 year old ass gives me attitude about the work I'm giving you, you can pretty much be assured that I'm not giving you anything more challenging (you know, the kinds of tasks that would help you demonstrate those amazing abilities to "assess workflow and prioritize tasks"). So I'm suggesting that your smug assertion is not assured and that you better be careful what kind of kid you are raising. Don't believe me? I recently worked for a university and knew lots of alums in management who bitched about this very situation almost every time I saw them. So I am totally not alone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These are the kids who grow to be those insufferable entry-level hires at the office who think they're above doing the boring parts of their jobs.

No, they will grow up to be the workers who know how to assess workflow and prioritize tasks.

Teaching a young child that if they don't like something about an assigned task, they don't have to do it, will not result in some super-hardworking wunderkind. I understand the thought process behind OP's opinion, and I also think busywork is annoying and often useless, but that's not the point here. A five-year-old will not grasp the nuances of OP's stance on busywork, just the overall lesson of "Mommy said I don't have to". You hear nowadays about parents calling to ream out interviewers after their adult child doesn't get chosen for a job...I think that is more likely to be the end result here than a child who is a high-achieving free thinker.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These are the kids who grow to be those insufferable entry-level hires at the office who think they're above doing the boring parts of their jobs.

No, they will grow up to be the workers who know how to assess workflow and prioritize tasks.

If they can manage to move up that far, what with the enormous entitled chips on their shoulders and all. Those of us who are currently in management positions find these young 'uns to be totally insufferable brats. When I get attitude like that, you can be damned sure I'm not handing you any choice assignments that would allow you to shine or going out of my way to help you. Pay your dues with a smile on your face or toil in the lower ranks for a long, long time. Or you know, leave.

Who said anything about attitude? You are mixing up work skills with manners.

No, I'm not. You just didn't comprehend my point. My point is that these kids who have great "work skills" but think they are too good for the work that I give them are never going to go anywhere in my organization, and I wouldn't lift a finger to help them. Read the bolded quote above. I am directly challenging your notion that kids who are taught that they can pick and choose which tasks are worthy of them grow up to be awesome workers. They often don't. They grow up to be smart kids with lots of skills but shitty attitudes that people HATE working with. If your 22 year old ass gives me attitude about the work I'm giving you, you can pretty much be assured that I'm not giving you anything more challenging (you know, the kinds of tasks that would help you demonstrate those amazing abilities to "assess workflow and prioritize tasks"). So I'm suggesting that your smug assertion is not assured and that you better be careful what kind of kid you are raising. Don't believe me? I recently worked for a university and knew lots of alums in management who bitched about this very situation almost every time I saw them. So I am totally not alone.

Uh...10:56 here. I'm the one who posted the 8:04 comment that you've bolded above. Just wanted to clarify for everyone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These are the kids who grow to be those insufferable entry-level hires at the office who think they're above doing the boring parts of their jobs.

No, they will grow up to be the workers who know how to assess workflow and prioritize tasks.

If they can manage to move up that far, what with the enormous entitled chips on their shoulders and all. Those of us who are currently in management positions find these young 'uns to be totally insufferable brats. When I get attitude like that, you can be damned sure I'm not handing you any choice assignments that would allow you to shine or going out of my way to help you. Pay your dues with a smile on your face or toil in the lower ranks for a long, long time. Or you know, leave.

Who said anything about attitude? You are mixing up work skills with manners.

No, I'm not. You just didn't comprehend my point. My point is that these kids who have great "work skills" but think they are too good for the work that I give them are never going to go anywhere in my organization, and I wouldn't lift a finger to help them. Read the bolded quote above. I am directly challenging your notion that kids who are taught that they can pick and choose which tasks are worthy of them grow up to be awesome workers. They often don't. They grow up to be smart kids with lots of skills but shitty attitudes that people HATE working with. If your 22 year old ass gives me attitude about the work I'm giving you, you can pretty much be assured that I'm not giving you anything more challenging (you know, the kinds of tasks that would help you demonstrate those amazing abilities to "assess workflow and prioritize tasks"). So I'm suggesting that your smug assertion is not assured and that you better be careful what kind of kid you are raising. Don't believe me? I recently worked for a university and knew lots of alums in management who bitched about this very situation almost every time I saw them. So I am totally not alone.

I understood your point. I just think it's flawed from the get-go to think how a young elementary school child and his/her parents approach homework is ever going to translate into what type of worker they are in 20 years. And we are talking young kids here. Not high school or college, where there are significant consequences for not doing homework. Kids learn along the way, and fostering a mindset of critical thinking and decision making benefits everyone.

You have some sort of issue with your employees, but I wonder if you ever stepped back to look at your own management skills. Today's workforce has four generations working for them, and each one brings a different set of values to the workplace. A good manager recognizes that and is able to bring out employees' various strengths. Even though their entitlement mentality can get on my nerves at times, I "like" the energy the 20 somethings bring to the workplace. I "like" that they question things in a way I never would have 20 years ago. Team work always creates a better work product.

"Shitty" attitudes go both ways and usually it's the person at the top who sets the tone and culture of the workplace environment. Not the bottom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These are the kids who grow to be those insufferable entry-level hires at the office who think they're above doing the boring parts of their jobs.

No, they will grow up to be the workers who know how to assess workflow and prioritize tasks.

If they can manage to move up that far, what with the enormous entitled chips on their shoulders and all. Those of us who are currently in management positions find these young 'uns to be totally insufferable brats. When I get attitude like that, you can be damned sure I'm not handing you any choice assignments that would allow you to shine or going out of my way to help you. Pay your dues with a smile on your face or toil in the lower ranks for a long, long time. Or you know, leave.

Who said anything about attitude? You are mixing up work skills with manners.

No, I'm not. You just didn't comprehend my point. My point is that these kids who have great "work skills" but think they are too good for the work that I give them are never going to go anywhere in my organization, and I wouldn't lift a finger to help them. Read the bolded quote above. I am directly challenging your notion that kids who are taught that they can pick and choose which tasks are worthy of them grow up to be awesome workers. They often don't. They grow up to be smart kids with lots of skills but shitty attitudes that people HATE working with. If your 22 year old ass gives me attitude about the work I'm giving you, you can pretty much be assured that I'm not giving you anything more challenging (you know, the kinds of tasks that would help you demonstrate those amazing abilities to "assess workflow and prioritize tasks"). So I'm suggesting that your smug assertion is not assured and that you better be careful what kind of kid you are raising. Don't believe me? I recently worked for a university and knew lots of alums in management who bitched about this very situation almost every time I saw them. So I am totally not alone.

I understood your point. I just think it's flawed from the get-go to think how a young elementary school child and his/her parents approach homework is ever going to translate into what type of worker they are in 20 years. And we are talking young kids here. Not high school or college, where there are significant consequences for not doing homework. Kids learn along the way, and fostering a mindset of critical thinking and decision making benefits everyone.

You have some sort of issue with your employees, but I wonder if you ever stepped back to look at your own management skills. Today's workforce has four generations working for them, and each one brings a different set of values to the workplace. A good manager recognizes that and is able to bring out employees' various strengths. Even though their entitlement mentality can get on my nerves at times, I "like" the energy the 20 somethings bring to the workplace. I "like" that they question things in a way I never would have 20 years ago. Team work always creates a better work product.

"Shitty" attitudes go both ways and usually it's the person at the top who sets the tone and culture of the workplace environment. Not the bottom.

Not PP, but do you seriously believe that "shitty" workers don't exist outside of poor management situations? I feel like anyone who's spent any real amount of time out in the working world has come across a co-worker who was either incompetent, lazy, or both. I kind of think you're just trying to get in a dig at PP - "if you have bad workers on staff, it must be your fault".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These are the kids who grow to be those insufferable entry-level hires at the office who think they're above doing the boring parts of their jobs.

No, they will grow up to be the workers who know how to assess workflow and prioritize tasks.

If they can manage to move up that far, what with the enormous entitled chips on their shoulders and all. Those of us who are currently in management positions find these young 'uns to be totally insufferable brats. When I get attitude like that, you can be damned sure I'm not handing you any choice assignments that would allow you to shine or going out of my way to help you. Pay your dues with a smile on your face or toil in the lower ranks for a long, long time. Or you know, leave.

Who said anything about attitude? You are mixing up work skills with manners.

No, I'm not. You just didn't comprehend my point. My point is that these kids who have great "work skills" but think they are too good for the work that I give them are never going to go anywhere in my organization, and I wouldn't lift a finger to help them. Read the bolded quote above. I am directly challenging your notion that kids who are taught that they can pick and choose which tasks are worthy of them grow up to be awesome workers. They often don't. They grow up to be smart kids with lots of skills but shitty attitudes that people HATE working with. If your 22 year old ass gives me attitude about the work I'm giving you, you can pretty much be assured that I'm not giving you anything more challenging (you know, the kinds of tasks that would help you demonstrate those amazing abilities to "assess workflow and prioritize tasks"). So I'm suggesting that your smug assertion is not assured and that you better be careful what kind of kid you are raising. Don't believe me? I recently worked for a university and knew lots of alums in management who bitched about this very situation almost every time I saw them. So I am totally not alone.

I understood your point. I just think it's flawed from the get-go to think how a young elementary school child and his/her parents approach homework is ever going to translate into what type of worker they are in 20 years. And we are talking young kids here. Not high school or college, where there are significant consequences for not doing homework. Kids learn along the way, and fostering a mindset of critical thinking and decision making benefits everyone.

You have some sort of issue with your employees, but I wonder if you ever stepped back to look at your own management skills. Today's workforce has four generations working for them, and each one brings a different set of values to the workplace. A good manager recognizes that and is able to bring out employees' various strengths. Even though their entitlement mentality can get on my nerves at times, I "like" the energy the 20 somethings bring to the workplace. I "like" that they question things in a way I never would have 20 years ago. Team work always creates a better work product.

"Shitty" attitudes go both ways and usually it's the person at the top who sets the tone and culture of the workplace environment. Not the bottom.

No, I don't think it's me. I hired you to do a specific job; I wasn't coy about what the daily tasks were. When you drag your feet, when I overhear you complaining about them, when the tasks are carelessly done, that's on you, not me. Now, if you come to me with an idea about how to improve a task or whatever, I applaud that. But your bitching and carelessness? No. And I am more than happy to work with my team to bring out their unique skills and strengths - ONLY AFTER they have proven to me that they have a good attitude, are a team player, etc. If you come in with a chip on your shoulder? Good luck. You better figure it out quick or you'll be in my office for a very uncomfortable discussion (for you anyway).

And YOU are kidding yourself if you think that parents who take this attitude with their small children miraculously change their tune as their kids get older. It's pretty much their mindset/attitude from the get-go, and it just manifests itself in different ways as the kids get older.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These are the kids who grow to be those insufferable entry-level hires at the office who think they're above doing the boring parts of their jobs.

No, they will grow up to be the workers who know how to assess workflow and prioritize tasks.

If they can manage to move up that far, what with the enormous entitled chips on their shoulders and all. Those of us who are currently in management positions find these young 'uns to be totally insufferable brats. When I get attitude like that, you can be damned sure I'm not handing you any choice assignments that would allow you to shine or going out of my way to help you. Pay your dues with a smile on your face or toil in the lower ranks for a long, long time. Or you know, leave.

Who said anything about attitude? You are mixing up work skills with manners.

No, I'm not. You just didn't comprehend my point. My point is that these kids who have great "work skills" but think they are too good for the work that I give them are never going to go anywhere in my organization, and I wouldn't lift a finger to help them. Read the bolded quote above. I am directly challenging your notion that kids who are taught that they can pick and choose which tasks are worthy of them grow up to be awesome workers. They often don't. They grow up to be smart kids with lots of skills but shitty attitudes that people HATE working with. If your 22 year old ass gives me attitude about the work I'm giving you, you can pretty much be assured that I'm not giving you anything more challenging (you know, the kinds of tasks that would help you demonstrate those amazing abilities to "assess workflow and prioritize tasks"). So I'm suggesting that your smug assertion is not assured and that you better be careful what kind of kid you are raising. Don't believe me? I recently worked for a university and knew lots of alums in management who bitched about this very situation almost every time I saw them. So I am totally not alone.

I understood your point. I just think it's flawed from the get-go to think how a young elementary school child and his/her parents approach homework is ever going to translate into what type of worker they are in 20 years. And we are talking young kids here. Not high school or college, where there are significant consequences for not doing homework. Kids learn along the way, and fostering a mindset of critical thinking and decision making benefits everyone.

You have some sort of issue with your employees, but I wonder if you ever stepped back to look at your own management skills. Today's workforce has four generations working for them, and each one brings a different set of values to the workplace. A good manager recognizes that and is able to bring out employees' various strengths. Even though their entitlement mentality can get on my nerves at times, I "like" the energy the 20 somethings bring to the workplace. I "like" that they question things in a way I never would have 20 years ago. Team work always creates a better work product.

"Shitty" attitudes go both ways and usually it's the person at the top who sets the tone and culture of the workplace environment. Not the bottom.

Not PP, but do you seriously believe that "shitty" workers don't exist outside of poor management situations? I feel like anyone who's spent any real amount of time out in the working world has come across a co-worker who was either incompetent, lazy, or both. I kind of think you're just trying to get in a dig at PP - "if you have bad workers on staff, it must be your fault".

I am the PP and I agree. When I worked in academia this was EXACTLY the attitude I saw time and again. It was never the precious snowflake's fault - it was always some evil administrator or policy, some professor who was out to get them, an advisor who didn't spend enough time with them, etc etc etc. One excuse after another. Such a pity for those kids who are being done a MAJOR disservice by their parents, who I assume are well-meaning but who are woefully misguided (and unwilling/unable to admit it).