Curious, how much help do you give your kids with their homework?

[buddy&wooz]

I don't help. I review it to make sure everything was done. If I see an error I might ask him to look again- and most times he recognizes the error himself. I'll help clarify instructions (that is, if I understand them myself!)

If kids are getting too much homework and can't get it done- isn't it better to send it in incomplete (with maybe a note) so the teacher can adjust it? I've done that a few times over the years, and it's always worked out positively with the teacher thanking me. If I'd just done the work the teacher would have no idea that it took too long. And if it's too hard, isn't it better for the teacher to see poor results and realize that the child needs more help to understand?

If it's just a matter of procrastination, more likely with older kids' projects, I just say tough, learn to manage your time better instead of waiting till the last minute.

Why yes, I am a charter member of the Mean Old Moms Club .

 

[MAKmom]

OP I'm 43 & what my kids are doing in school is so far more advanced than my generation was exposed to. It is unbelievable & the teacher agree.

I needed to help my girls until 5th grade. DD9 is in 3rd. What I really needed to do was make sure it got done. I do help with school projects. This is a problem everywhere I think because if you let your child do it themselves they do not get credit for doing it themselves.

Yes, I think there is a lot of busy work. On a Monday night DD 9 is told to cut all the letters of her spelling home work out of a magazine & paste them together. I think this is too much for 1 night along with math & reading homework. I will cut the letters out....not words letters. I think she should have the week for this & other spelling home work before this. They send home all the homework for the week Monday.

 

[Curious]

Curious, how much help do you give your kids with their homework?

None.

 

[Laurajean1014]

We are encouraged to work with our students/kids. My son goes to a private school where they encourage parents to get more involved.

That does not mean what your co-workers are doing. I also would have a chat with the two people that approached you. It seems they think you have more task oriented time, or free time to do this then they do. (Hopefully this is not the case).

I do review my son's homework each day to encourage proper writing, handwriting and analytical skills. I will also read book assignments that he has and interview him about the book, so he gathers his thoughts to compile the report/assignment. My son is in 4th grade and gets about 30 minutes to 1 1/2 hours of homework per night.

He is also an avid hockey player and on a baseball team. He has lots of interests including school.

I would encourage parents to get involved, coach and work with their kids. However, homework should be done by the student and not the parent. It sets a very bad example for the child when he gets into the world of business.

 

[froglady]

The amount of help given in the OP's example would be considered cheating at DS's school.

On every paper and test, the students MUST write: "I pledge my honor as a student that I have neither given nor received any unauthorized aid on this assignment."

 

[princesspumpkin]

I don't do my DD's homework for her, but i am fully aware of when she has specific tests and when projects are due. I help quiz her for tests and remind her to work on her projects so that she doesn't wait until the last minute. I explain things when she is having homework difficulties. DD is in the 4th grade and as she has gotten older, she does require less assistance.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

If kids are getting too much homework and can't get it done- isn't it better to send it in incomplete (with maybe a note) so the teacher can adjust it? I've done that a few times over the years, and it's always worked out positively with the teacher thanking me. If I'd just done the work the teacher would have no idea that it took too long. And if it's too hard, isn't it better for the teacher to see poor results and realize that the child needs more help to understand?

I've also written note to the teachers a few times through the years to let them know that one of my kids has worked on the assignment for X minutes. Busywork drives me crazy. IE, in math, the teacher can give 10 problems and see that the student gets it, but why give 50? It's not a case where doing 40 extra problems helps the student.

There was one assignment that involved cutting from a newspaper that my DD got when she was little. That was the first note that I wrote to a teacher. Three years later my oldest son got the same assignment. I should have made a copy of the note I'd sent with my DD!

But in general my kids can do their homework and when they can't do it in a reasonable length of time it's usually because my child is the one not paying attention, getting distracted, etc.

 

[AlexandNessa]

What you described takes less than 5 minutes. If the guy were a friend of mine (or my boss) I would do it. I don't care much about what other folks teach their kids.

You would take time out for doing the job you are paid to do and use company resources to read over the 4-page instructions and format a paper that was a complete mess? Just curious. Perhaps I should explain that we have jobs to constantly surveill and troubleshoot all network problems. It's not like I could stop a project for an hour and it could wait. I could have missed a failure -- and so could he.

 

[aprilgail2]

How much I help depends on what we have going that evening..if we are going out soon after school ends and not going to be home until late then I will help alot just to get it knocked out and out of the way..if not she usually does it on her own. Its not bad anyway they only get 10 minutes per grade of school and never on vacations, holidays or weekends so basically its only 10 minutes a night anyway this year, most of which she tries to do on the bus on the way home.

 

[RitaZ.]

The more you do for them, the less they'll do for themselves. Why not teach the kid how to use the program? Sure it takes more time for the parents, but when it's all done, the child has acquired a new skill.

 

[Stacerita]

Nope. The sweetpea does her own homework. It is usually done well before I get home from work at 4pm. There has been a time or two that I have worked with her. Formatting a word document is tricky for her. I will talk her through it, but she does the work. And she is responsible for spelling errors and grammar. I will answer questions if she asks, but I dont do her work for her.

She is starting her Mission model tonight. I took her to the store and bought what she needed. She made a list of what she planned to do with no help from me. Hopefully she got everything she needed, because its her project. If she forgot something, I probably will go back, but I dont want her to rely on that. She will build the entire thing from scratch, and I will only supervise. She may ask me a question on how to do something, but she will do it herself.

Ive spoken with her teacher about the amount of homework a few times this year. I wasn't sure if she was just getting it done fast or that the teacher wasn't giving enough. I think she could handle some more work. Its her work to do, not mine.

 

[ozarkmom]

I know a mom who read the books her kids were suppose to read in elementary, did most of their homework (it's just easier). She would read the books to her son and do his special projects. One of the teachers that I'm friends with said "we can usually tell which kids do their own projects". Anyway the son gets in Jr. High and has alot of trouble with grades and his mom blames it on the teachers. Duh this is the first time this kid has had to do his own work. I might have went over instructions if needed when they were younger but they were responsible for the work. Now I wouldn't be any help to them at all.