My boy literally begged me to put him in Kumon Math at the tender age of 3 1/2 years.


Now that's bloody sad! Imagine a 3 year old begging for KUMON Math. The image makes me....every adjective you can imagine.

"Please MAMA, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE send me to KUMON!!!!" What a joke.

At the end of the day the joke may be on you. Sounds like the poster has a great lad.

My boy literally begged me to put him in Kumon Math at the tender age of 3 1/2 years.


Now that's bloody sad! Imagine a 3 year old begging for KUMON Math. The image makes me....every adjective you can imagine.

"Please MAMA, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE send me to KUMON!!!!" What a joke.

I don't think anyone would have issues here with using KUMON with older children that either express an interest in math or a child who is struggling. OP was asking about a toddler, which is a totally different situation.


EXACTLY, Finally, someone understands the discussion that was originated!

To whom...yourself?

12:37 I was speaking for myself.

Lots of experience with Kumon.

Child works for 20 min a day and a parent corrects the work and ensures child completes all corrections daily.

Works wonders if both child and parent are disciplined.

Many parents tend to blame the child, solely, for program failure; rather, than accept some responsibility for guiding, reviewing the work and ensuring the child completes all corrections daily.

Speak for yourself ... and not others. Sorry, no one gives a hoot about your proclamation.

The show will go on with or without you!

The horse is dead, folks.

Your story resonates in many families. Younger children will try to emulate their older siblings particularly when there is small enough age gap. This happens for many activities including chess, karate, swimming, reading, music, art and other hobbies. This explains why it's so ridiculous for posters to impose their preference for their children on others ... as the holy grail.

Does it matter when a baby, infant, toddler or child reads or manipulates numbers? How can anyone argue these activities, out of many in a day, kills childhood and creativity? Bizarre speculative conclusion based on anecdote.

My boy literally begged me to put him in Kumon Math at the tender age of 3 1/2 years.

He is a thriving and athletic boy as a 7-year-old that is 4 years ahead in Math.

Go ahead, unbelievable, scream bloody child abuse.

Before the board decides to call social services and appeal to them to take my child away you might be interested to know the reason he asked and cried to join?

He wanted to join his older brother (he looked up to him), 4 years his senior, who was doing 30 minutes of math a day.

He literally wanted to be "like Mike". And, it was a blast watching him try to form/write numbers on a scratch pad for 20 min a day ... mimicking his older brother...and to see where he has arrived now. He still remains eager to sit at the same desk with big bro doing his work. I 'm not sure how long this will last but I will not discourage it.

He'll be done with the entire math program (7 years at 20 min/day) by 6th grade. The speed and efficiency it takes him in completing homework assignments at present allows for lots of unrobotic activities and playtime. So far, school is a breeze. I don't see any downside from my or his vantage point. I can't imagine school work in middle or high school presenting any difficulties for him. He has gained a rock solid academic foundation. In a selfish way, I will not have to keep up with his work in middle and high school and worry about remedial work.

By the way he is definetely the artsy and creative one. Loves to paint and write.

You'd be surprise what will motivate a 3 and 1/2 toddler!

In present day parlance, I know I am a bad parent for depriving my toddler of his childhood and subjecting him to Kumon-type activity.

If your child likes 20 min of math drill a day (like reading) do not be ashamed to be a self-professed bad parent. Give it to them! Your children will love you for it and when they hit high school and college they will forever express their gratitude.

OP here: Wow; this thread took a very odd turn.

Yes, we know how Kumon works. We obviously won't continue with the program if it doesn't work for our LO but don't think there is any harm in trying it out.

Re: the posts about games at home. We do, in fact, play math games at home & LO enjoys them... but what does that have to do with anything?

Anonymous wrote:

Not PP, but I do believe that making a 3-year-old do 20 to 30 minutes a day of swimming drills would destroy a love of swimming, and 20 to 30 minutes of music drills per day at that age would destroy a love of music (been there, done that and it was a disaster. When we stepped back and stopped forcing the music, my DC really blossomed as a musician). They may not become robotic but children at this age should not be deprived of the value of exploration and discovery and feeding their activities to them like this does have a cost. if you're doing one thing, you're not doing another. I'm so glad I did not grow up when sports were so parent-driven. I discovered sports on my own and became a very successful high school athlete, and am still an athlete, and I fear kids who are being groomed at such ages miss out on the real joy of finding a sport and engaging in it for sheer pleasure.

Would you try this approach with a 6, 8 or 12 year-old? Would you ever try this approach (use of drills to attain skill, mastery and expertise)?

I don't think anyone would have issues here with using KUMON with older children that either express an interest in math or a child who is struggling. OP was asking about a toddler, which is a totally different situation.

Not PP, but I do believe that making a 3-year-old do 20 to 30 minutes a day of swimming drills would destroy a love of swimming, and 20 to 30 minutes of music drills per day at that age would destroy a love of music (been there, done that and it was a disaster. When we stepped back and stopped forcing the music, my DC really blossomed as a musician). They may not become robotic but children at this age should not be deprived of the value of exploration and discovery and feeding their activities to them like this does have a cost. if you're doing one thing, you're not doing another. I'm so glad I did not grow up when sports were so parent-driven. I discovered sports on my own and became a very successful high school athlete, and am still an athlete, and I fear kids who are being groomed at such ages miss out on the real joy of finding a sport and engaging in it for sheer pleasure.

Would you try this approach with a 6, 8 or 12 year-old? Would you ever try this approach (use of drills to attain skill, mastery and expertise)?

Not PP, but I do believe that making a 3-year-old do 20 to 30 minutes a day of swimming drills would destroy a love of swimming, and 20 to 30 minutes of music drills per day at that age would destroy a love of music (been there, done that and it was a disaster. When we stepped back and stopped forcing the music, my DC really blossomed as a musician). They may not become robotic but children at this age should not be deprived of the value of exploration and discovery and feeding their activities to them like this does have a cost. if you're doing one thing, you're not doing another. I'm so glad I did not grow up when sports were so parent-driven. I discovered sports on my own and became a very successful high school athlete, and am still an athlete, and I fear kids who are being groomed at such ages miss out on the real joy of finding a sport and engaging in it for sheer pleasure.

But I digress.

I won't touch the ADHD comment because I'm not sure I understand what you mean by it and I'm going to pretend you aren't slurring children who do have ADHD.

If this strategy doesn't work for your children. Please don't do it. You are the best judge. You'll find an approach that works through trial and error.

But, it has worked for others. In fact, a few children floundering under the laissez-faire parental approach in their elementary school did not turn the ship around until some daily discipline (20 to 30 minutes of math exercises) was introduced into their lives upon recommendations of this strategy.

PP 10:12 here. I wish schools would use Kumon as part of their curriculum starting in perhaps second grade. My child was finding math challenging, we did Kumon in Fourth grade, never got a B after that, my child is now an advanced math student in HS.