I've always let my kids do their own projects. Stick figure family trees in first grade compared with elaborate family photo collages no first grader could have done on their own. I just shrugged my shoulders and laughed. Years later my kids don't seem to be any worse off for having done their own art projects in early elementary.

Art should not be graded in my opinion so anything like that that comes home would become a family project under my child's direction. If it's pointless, won't help her future, or isn't something on which she can demonstrate mastery of a skill that requires studying to improve, we treat it like the box checking exercise it is and just get it done. Our family life is very collaborative, so whoever has the most time and the best applicable skills will often make anything, homework, non-confidential work brought home for the evening, or volunteer work, a group effort to optimize results efficiently.

We'd help our child. We aren't very skilled at that stuff but we'd do it together. We have lots of power tools to help. I don't see why a school would make them bring a pumpkin, especially now. We don't carve till the night before.

Why do they have to bring the pumpkin to school? Ours is moldy already. I think the project should be easy enough for the kid to do it. I also think there should be a boundary between school and home activities. Now schools are doing everything people do at home, like celebrating Halloween and Thanksgiving. Growing up we never celebrated holidays at school. That's what home is for. I can see writing a story but bringing the pumpkin is a bit much. By the time the actual Halloween and Thanksgiving roll around, we've already celebrated it like 4 times, which makes the home celebration seem redundant.

Anonymous wrote:Half of the kids in my child's 3rd grade class do projects with A LOT of help from parents (presentations, book reports etc). The other half are clearly done by the child. I will say that I'm sure the teacher notes what kids do theirs independently.

Parents help their kids to their child's detriment. It will catch up sooner or later.

This. I was shocked when I saw some of the "kids" projects in machines. I'm talking power point pictures, paragragh descriptions, professional drawings, etc. It was quite humorous actually.

I don't think it matters either way. Do it the way you would like to do it.

My philosophy on all projects, art or otherwise, is that I will man the hot glue gun or exacto knife, if needed, below a certain age and I will procure timely requested supplies (within reason). Otherwise, it's your homework. I'm happy to brainstorm or provide suggestions if you get stuck. But if the point of homework or projects is to demonstrate mastery of skills (which is should be!!!), then the child needs to show how he or she is progressing at those skills.

Half of the kids in my child's 3rd grade class do projects with A LOT of help from parents (presentations, book reports etc). The other half are clearly done by the child. I will say that I'm sure the teacher notes what kids do theirs independently.

Parents help their kids to their child's detriment. It will catch up sooner or later.

Anonymous wrote:In second grade I see this type of activity as a family activity. We all work together on decorating the pumpkin and then my kid would write about it. We have fun with it. I really don't think the teacher is grading on the pumpkin decorating, so why stress about it? If I want to do this as a family, it should not impact you. Now, if the directions said that the 2nd grader had to do the pumpkin by himself, I would do that- but that would be strange.

If it's a "family activity" then the directions would say, "this is a family activity." It's not. It's homework....which is done by the student.

My kids never brought home art projects, which is a good thing, because I'm the crafty type and DC1 had a fine motor disability, so I would have been SORELY tempted to intervene

Anonymous wrote:In second grade I see this type of activity as a family activity. We all work together on decorating the pumpkin and then my kid would write about it. We have fun with it. I really don't think the teacher is grading on the pumpkin decorating, so why stress about it? If I want to do this as a family, it should not impact you. Now, if the directions said that the 2nd grader had to do the pumpkin by himself, I would do that- but that would be strange.

Yeah, I get it - you Instagram your child doing these activities every day to? Go forth and do your childs homework helicopter mom!

In second grade I see this type of activity as a family activity. We all work together on decorating the pumpkin and then my kid would write about it. We have fun with it. I really don't think the teacher is grading on the pumpkin decorating, so why stress about it? If I want to do this as a family, it should not impact you. Now, if the directions said that the 2nd grader had to do the pumpkin by himself, I would do that- but that would be strange.

I think those parents need to find validation elsewhere and that they are teaching their kids that their own efforts aren't good enough.

We don't help at all but we're on child #3.

My 7yo 2nd grader has to decorate a pumpkin and write a story about it. Some of the pumpkins coming into school are ridiculous, like borderline professional carving type pumpkins with elaborate paint. There is no way a 2nd grader was capable of producing these works of art.

How much do you help with these types of projects?