SES/ Occupation and Homework Opinions

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:HHI $250

Degree in Math, work in IT.
H degree in finance, master in SW... Work in SW.

I tell my kids grade don't matter until HS. That have to give a best effort ... No more that 3 hrs of hw in middle school. No more than 1.5 hrs before that.

I have opted my kids out of certain he for various reasons. I don't believe I making up work during illnesses that last more than a week.

In HS they have to live with their consequences when it comes to choosing what college they go to.

How the hell often are your kids sick for more than a week?!

Unfortunately I have 1 son with a medical condition. So for him 3 times... Once for 6 weeks.

My youngest got Flu B and was out for 3 weeks once.

[Anonymous]

DH has Phd in science field, I have an MBA. Our kids are in private so they don't get a ton of homework anyway (4th and 1st) so they do whatever they have, but if it were truly useless and taking a long time (ie copying down definitions, doing the same math problems over and over again, word searches) we'd say no.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Both parents have graduate degrees: DH has a PhD and I have a a MS.

We do not agree with assigning homework in early elementary years. Around third grade homework is more appropriate. Why should children whose parents are providing a highly enriched home environment not be able to take advantage of that? After school is time for practicing their instrument, taking swimming lessons, reading, cooking together, talking, being with friends, or playing sports. The school has my child for most of the day, when they come home they are mine. If we want to hit a museum or take a hike we will. We do our own math and language arts enrichment at home.

That said, I agree that it is important to teach children to respect their teacher. I am not promoting defiance or a poor work ethic. We have selected a school that shares our values. Our school does not assign homework in the early grades and the students come from educated families.

You're a freaking nightmare.

The kids need to do the homework because it refreshes and reinforces what they learned at school. It's targeted to the lessons that they are learning at school. Your enrichment is great, but it's not specific to the lesson plan at school.

DH has a PhD, MA, MS, MBA. I have a JD and MA. We're in the top 10% of earners for our area.

[Anonymous]

OP,

I think this is more complex situation than your breakdown can reveal. Most importantly, I think homework compliance is a function of how rule-abiding the parents are. These types of parents exist at all socio-economic levels, even though low-income and very high-income parents may perhaps think less of rules because of their status.

We spend an inordinate time on homework because DS has low processing speed and also because we abide by the rules. We earn 120K annually.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Both parents have graduate degrees: DH has a PhD and I have a a MS.

We do not agree with assigning homework in early elementary years. Around third grade homework is more appropriate. Why should children whose parents are providing a highly enriched home environment not be able to take advantage of that? After school is time for practicing their instrument, taking swimming lessons, reading, cooking together, talking, being with friends, or playing sports. The school has my child for most of the day, when they come home they are mine. If we want to hit a museum or take a hike we will. We do our own math and language arts enrichment at home.

That said, I agree that it is important to teach children to respect their teacher. I am not promoting defiance or a poor work ethic. We have selected a school that shares our values. Our school does not assign homework in the early grades and the students come from educated families.

You're a freaking nightmare.

The kids need to do the homework because it refreshes and reinforces what they learned at school. It's targeted to the lessons that they are learning at school. Your enrichment is great, but it's not specific to the lesson plan at school.

DH has a PhD, MA, MS, MBA. I have a JD and MA. We're in the top 10% of earners for our area. [/quote

If you're so smart, rich, and well-educated, then you should know that there is no evidence for homework being useful in early elementary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
OP,

I think this is more complex situation than your breakdown can reveal. Most importantly, I think homework compliance is a function of how rule-abiding the parents are. These types of parents exist at all socio-economic levels, even though low-income and very high-income parents may perhaps think less of rules because of their status.

We spend an inordinate time on homework because DS has low processing speed and also because we abide by the rules. We earn 120K annually.

OP here. You sound like us in terms of homework. My daughter is easily distracted so homework takes too long. Income is much higher though. You are probably right people at the top don't have to follow the rules. Homework is not as important to people at the bottom. They are too worried about meeting basic needs. Of course my comments ate generalizations.

[Anonymous]

If you're so smart, rich, and well-educated, then you should know that there is no evidence for homework being useful in early elementary.

However, I suspect there is evidence that habits and attitudes developed in early years carry over to adult life. Good luck when your kid doesn't want to do a paper in college because it is silly or redundant.

[Anonymous]

HHI $200k

Teacher (DH gov. consultant)

I think that for elementary, free choice reading should be the only homework. For upper grades, meaningful homework that reinforces concepts already taught should be done in a reasonable amount.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Curious as to whether those who are allowing kids to skip homework also were allowed to skip homework by their own parents.

I didn't have homework till jr. high, and then it wasn't much.

almost 200,000. ph.d. in the humanities. College professor. I chose Montessori for my child in part because I don't want ridiculous accelerated academics and ridiculous amounts homework. Wants my kids to love learning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Both parents have graduate degrees: DH has a PhD and I have a a MS.

We do not agree with assigning homework in early elementary years. Around third grade homework is more appropriate. Why should children whose parents are providing a highly enriched home environment not be able to take advantage of that? After school is time for practicing their instrument, taking swimming lessons, reading, cooking together, talking, being with friends, or playing sports. The school has my child for most of the day, when they come home they are mine. If we want to hit a museum or take a hike we will. We do our own math and language arts enrichment at home.

That said, I agree that it is important to teach children to respect their teacher. I am not promoting defiance or a poor work ethic. We have selected a school that shares our values. Our school does not assign homework in the early grades and the students come from educated families.

You're a freaking nightmare.

The kids need to do the homework because it refreshes and reinforces what they learned at school. It's targeted to the lessons that they are learning at school. Your enrichment is great, but it's not specific to the lesson plan at school.

DH has a PhD, MA, MS, MBA. I have a JD and MA. We're in the top 10% of earners for our area.

hmm, somehow I learned though my (excellent) elementary school in the 1970s assigned no homework.

[Anonymous]

hmm, somehow I learned though my (excellent) elementary school in the 1970s assigned no homework.

Having no homework and telling your kid he doesn't have to do it, are two very different things.

[Anonymous]

We own a new business and HHI is zero for the last 4 years (live off 401k savings) all the homework plus supplements is mandatory.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Both parents have graduate degrees: DH has a PhD and I have a a MS.

We do not agree with assigning homework in early elementary years. Around third grade homework is more appropriate. Why should children whose parents are providing a highly enriched home environment not be able to take advantage of that? After school is time for practicing their instrument, taking swimming lessons, reading, cooking together, talking, being with friends, or playing sports. The school has my child for most of the day, when they come home they are mine. If we want to hit a museum or take a hike we will. We do our own math and language arts enrichment at home.

That said, I agree that it is important to teach children to respect their teacher. I am not promoting defiance or a poor work ethic. We have selected a school that shares our values. Our school does not assign homework in the early grades and the students come from educated families.

You're a freaking nightmare.

The kids need to do the homework because it refreshes and reinforces what they learned at school. It's targeted to the lessons that they are learning at school. Your enrichment is great, but it's not specific to the lesson plan at school.

DH has a PhD, MA, MS, MBA. I have a JD and MA. We're in the top 10% of earners for our area.

I think she's spot on. Independent thinker acknowledging the bigger education picture.

[Anonymous]

A more interesting question may be whether parents with kids at private school require their children to do the assigned homework. Our kids are at a private school, so I feel I have chosen their school environment and it's expectations. While I might not get the exact amount of homework given, I would never think to allow our kids to skip Hallmark unless they were sick or there was some other unusual reason. But then, I got to choose a school that I generally find reasonable, and that gives helpful homework and not generally too much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A more interesting question may be whether parents with kids at private school require their children to do the assigned homework. Our kids are at a private school, so I feel I have chosen their school environment and it's expectations. While I might not get the exact amount of homework given, I would never think to allow our kids to skip Hallmark unless they were sick or there was some other unusual reason. But then, I got to choose a school that I generally find reasonable, and that gives helpful homework and not generally too much.

My kids go to a private (independent) school and find skipping homework much more manageable since they do not answer to some beuqacratic being.