Cancelling Activities to do Homework?

[Anonymous]

She's over scheduled. Two activities on Monday, that ends up going late. That sets her up for a rough week.

I would say cut one Monday activity, and have a routine of a bit of homework each night. Get the routine going first. Yes she hates it, and she will fight. It's important though. Fighting with her now to get that routine in place will make it easier later when the homework is more crucial.

[Anonymous]

If the homework is dittos I would just say no. That is the old way of training students for factory jobs. Schools that have ditto baskets are not moving forward toward a 21st century education.

[Anonymous]

It might surprise you to know that some of the homework--esp in the lower grades--is due to parental demand.

[Anonymous]

19:31 You are absolutely correct. In one class we had a group of parents demanding more homework. They got what they ask for. It interfered with the activities many of the other students were involved in so their parents got together and demanded less. It drove the Head of School crazy for a few months but she learned not to let a group of parents dictate what should be assigned. Sometimes it is easier to say no to the big donors in the beginning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It might surprise you to know that some of the homework--esp in the lower grades--is due to parental demand.

Omg, what kind of parent asks for more homework!!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It might surprise you to know that some of the homework--esp in the lower grades--is due to parental demand.

Omg, what kind of parent asks for more homework!!!!

I could see doing it. My child in 6th grade isn't getting much math homework at all, and it just doesn't seem like he could possibly be learning what he should be learning (this is for algebra). He has about 2-3 homework questions per night and they an't long questions.

But at the same time I am happy that he doesn't have a lot of homework for his and our sanity, so so far I haven't said anything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks for the helpful responses. To answer a question, basically we don't have her do homework on Fridays or weekends. As mentioned, she dislikes homework anyway so it's a lot of trauma to spoil these days. Then there are two activities on Monday, which end late, so no go. There is another activity one night and a tutor the next. That leaves one night.

She does learn from the tutor but we have decided that it's a waste to have her do homework with her instead of focusing on the missing skills that she needs.

Being so young, even if there were no activities, she should be able to play in the yard at night and have dinner, and that would leave about enough time to get a bath and then to bed on time. We have gotten a couple of mega-packs of homework too. Things that take a very long time. It just seems wrong to have to cancel things just to do homework, but obviously something is out of kilter. I can say I disagree with the quantity of homework, but so what.

OP, you've given your schedule, now can you give us an idea of how much time you're spending on homework each of the nights? Is the issue that you need more time over the whole week? Or that your DD is going too slowly because she's tired on activity nights? Or that you need to choose different days to do the homework (like PP who suggested weekends)?

Absent more info, my only suggestion is that if DD has ADHD, routine is important and it could be more helpful to do more short homework sessions than fewer longer ones. Building the study skills won't go as well if you skip multiple days at a time because of activities and/or weekends.

I agree with your instinct to protect backyard play.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, CHILL and let that child play. So she skips some homework. So what.

that's right, who needs education anyway. a few hundred years ago majority of people did not know how to read or white and they were juuuuust fiiiiine. better yet cancel school all together. let them play.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It might surprise you to know that some of the homework--esp in the lower grades--is due to parental demand.

Omg, what kind of parent asks for more homework!!!!

typically these are parents that are involved in their kids education and want their kids have solid understanding of what was covered in class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a mean mom and make my kid do 30 minutes of homework or math/reading enrichment if there is no homework or of it takes less than 30 min. to do homework, 7 days a week. If you set the expectation of 30 min. of homework Fri., Sat., and Sunday she would probably finish all of the homework packet. Set a timer and tell her homework first with no whining then you get a show, a fun activity, computer time, a Popsicle, etc.

+1000

[Anonymous]

"typically these are parents that are involved in their kids education and want their kids have solid understanding of what was covered in class."

I think you mean "typically parents who are lemmings and don't understand the basics of child development or psychology and also don't know that studies show both that homework until about H.S. age and parental over-involvement do achieve anything in terms of your child's outcomes."

[Anonymous]

My son is in 3rd grade and has some SN and we have learned that we HAVE to do hw immediately after school. If we wait even an hour, it takes nine times as long or is impossible. As a result he does few afterschool activities, and goes to 1 night karate class. I would cut activities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It might surprise you to know that some of the homework--esp in the lower grades--is due to parental demand.

Omg, what kind of parent asks for more homework!!!!

typically these are parents that are involved in their kids education and want their kids have solid understanding of what was covered in class.

Right on!!! My 1st and 2nd grader both have homework, more so my 2nd grader. In any case, it is a great way for me to see what they are learning and engage with them. The last thing I want to do is wait to find out what issues there are at a quarterly parent teacher conference. My 2nd graders homework takes her about 30 to 40 minutes max in areas like math, spelling, and reading. The only activity we do is piano on the weekend. Otherwise, we are ALL chilling from the rat race of the week. Any activity we do has to be on the weekend. Homework is priority. I want to set the tone for that because 3rd grade will get more intense so it is better to set the foundation and expectation now. I don't want to send the message to her that homework is optional and doesn't matter or that getting marked down for not doing homework is not a big deal. Yes, this is 2nd grade. And yes, these kids hear you loud and clear so think about what you are teaching them before you start dismissing this and that because it will come back to bite you in the you know what.