How involved were your parents in your education?

[LisaR]

So, again, it seems that the parents on this board are doing all of the things that the teachers on this board require. Sure, there are parents that don't care - but from reading this board, there used to be a whole lot more parents that didn't care.

I still don't get it, and am not sure that I buy it. I am really beginning to think that the issue is NOT parental involvement. Maybe teachers need to be able to discipline kids in school again. Maybe the abandonment of corporal punishment has led us to this...

My three siblings went to a Catholic school from K - 8th. By the time I was old enough, the school was on the verge of closing so I went to public schools. The Catholic school used corporal punishment and let me tell you, all three of my siblings were paddled multiple times. The nuns would paddle you just for looking sideways. I went to CCD classes there and wasn't immune to the paddle myself.

But, the public schools I attended did not paddle ever. I am not sure if it was a law but they didn't do it. You were sent to the office, given chores or detention for bad behavior or suspended if it was really bad. We did have a couple teachers that would throw chalk board erasers at you if you were misbehaving. My cross eyed 5th grade teacher had remarkable aim. If I told my parents, their response would be to stop screwing around in class.

So, I am not sure corporal punishment is the answer.

 

[clori]

I'm 41. My 85 year old father dropped out of high school and joined the army during WWII. My 81 year old mother graduated and went on to what is probably equivalent to an associates today. My father was adament that we (older brother, older sister and I) would finish school. My mother attended conferences and both attended things like band concerts and now laugh when I complain about dd's recorder noise. My mom would quiz me on objective things like spelling tests, multiplication tables or anything I made flash cards for but otherwise I was on my own.

In 5&6th grade band met at a different school. My friends and I walked from my school to the other school then home again. I never got rewards or punishments for report cards other than hearing good job. Other than maybe picking up needed supplies I don't recall my parents helping with projects. In high school my mother would ask me what classes I was taking but left all the decisions up to me. We lived in NH but are from MA. To visit colleges in Boston one day we drove to MA. My father dropped me off at a subway station and gave me tokens and coins. He told me the name of the subway station to come back to and call his friends house when I got back. I took the subway and visited a college by myself.

 

[cuethemusic]

I'm 19, and I don't think my parents were really involved in my education . They weren't the types to make sure my homework was done, make sure I was studying, etc. but I was making sure I was doing it anyway so I guess they didn't have reason to. My Mom would go to the parent teacher conferences, and was a huge "volunteer mom" always coming with us on field trips or reading to my class, but she says she did that only because she missed me when I was at school. They never pressured me for good grades even though I got mostly A's and B's, although I might get an occasional C on a test, they would just say "as long as you gave it your all, we know you aren't going into any kind of science career anyways"

 

[PeterPan09]

When they (the school systems) decided that Kindergartners should come in already reading.

It is truly sad.

Overall I think my parents could have been much more inolved in embracing a positive academic environment (kid you not--they didn't force me to do homework...b/c I was smart. Never mind the long term effects of that in having to struggle with developing study skills.).

Parents should be involved. I don't recall story times when I was little...but I was also in daycare since infant hood where I could almost guarantee that they were dong that stuff with me. So while mom may not have been doing it at home--she effectively was paying someone to do that. We played and did various things.

I actulaly skipped Kindergarten. It was not required in my state and I'm guessing my mothers work schedule (Navy) had a lot to do with her delaying it. I was placed directly into first grade when school became compulsory and I excelled and was in the highest reading and math groups. I don't say this to brag or claim myself a genius--b/c I am far from that.

I would be doing my parents a disservice if I claimed they did nothing and I turned out fine anyway--b/c I did have 6 years of daycare that did much of what is suggested to parents to do for their little ones.


But why has it changed?

B/c Kindergarten changed.

Everything I know I learned in Kindergarten..will one day become "Everything I know, I learned in PK4/PK3".

And IMHO--it won't amount to a hill of beans in overall long term educational improvement b/c we are trying to fix education the wrong way.

I knew how to read when I got into Kindergarten and that was back in the Dark Ages!

 

[MariDisney]

My parents were not involved at all. I don't recall ever having monitoring for homework or anything like that. My dad did pick me up from extra curricular activities and did drop me off at college...basically picked me up 4 years later. In fact, they weren't involved in the college application process at all. I figured out where I wanted to go, applied, did the financial aid stuff, and off I went. I bet they don't even really know what my degree is in!