Homework Headache | Chocolate Fest | SOUPer Bowl
How do you feel about kids' homework?
At my kids' school, we don't have homework for K-2, probably because homework at early grades don't show much benefit.
I was determined not to be a tiger mom and be all over kids' homework. Growing up, I remember my mom used to get my brother to do homework every night. The result? He got A-Fs depending on whether he liked the teacher. So I thought my mom's effort wasn't very productive.
Since my older one had homework initially in kindergarten (that he didn't do most of the time), I ironically did feel a sense of withdrawal when that changed. How would I know what my kid's learning in school? Thankfully, both kids' teachers now send us weekly updates on what they're learning in school. I do read those, but honestly still feel a bit like school is a black box, a feeling many parents told me about as well. Maybe because a few lines read in haste from time to time don't give me a complete picture of what they're supposed to learn.
The other day, I actually googled what our kids are supposed to learn by grade level. Apparently my daughter in kindergarten is learning to count, and my older one in third grade is learning multiplication and division and fractions. Ohh... I'm a bit embarrassed to say I had considered myself a pretty involved parent. :(
I've also read that until third grade, kids learn to read, then afterwards they read to learn. So if your child hasn't learned how to read by third grade, tough! Hmm... I wonder if all the parents know about that. If a child can't read, it might also affect doing math homework and everything else.
So, my third grader now has weekly homework. In the fall I saw maybe 5 of of them, and possibly one got turned in. Starting the new year, we decided we'll get on top of homework. So far most of our battles has to do with getting the homework home and turning them in. Doing the homework is not a problem, even though my son tends to rush through it and often make mistakes in his haste. He gets 5 minutes of game time on the phone afterwards.
I heard from one friend they have the opposite problem as us, not with the logistics, but actually getting the kid to actually sit down and do his homework. And of course I've also heard of another parent, who already trained their kid to memorize the times table. I couldn't help wondering if I should do the same, when my son tried to figure out 4x7 by adding 7 plus 7 plus... :)
Meanwhile, my kindergartener is eager to copy her brother: "Not fair, how come I don't have any homework."
To keep peace, I bought her some activity books, then realized that repetitive ones she got bored quickly and skipped, the easy ones she raced through. Then I'm now on the hook for helping her learn what she couldn't figure out on her own. Perhaps not the best plan.
What do you think about homework? Way on top of it, still trying to find them, or don't think they are worth the time?
By the way, this Friday I'm going to the Emperor's New Clothes musical at PAUS (I heard they have a great theater program), and Saturday the Chocolate Fest, and restart my run Sunday morning run at Dana Park. Let me know if you wanna meet up at any of those. :)
Weekend Events
The Emperor's New Clothes Musical
The Emperor's New Clothes Musical Date and Time January 25 2018 7:00 PM to January 26 2018 9:00 PM Location Pu...
Thursday, 7:00pm - Fri., Putnam Avenue Upper School 100 Putnam Ave Cambridge MA 
While the festival is Friday through Sunday, the highlight of this beloved weekend extravaganza is the free Chocolate T...
Friday, 10am - Sun., Harvard Square 
The MIT Gilbert & Sullivan Players Winter 2018 production of Trial By Jury Show dates: January 26 (8pm), 27 (8p...
Friday, 8:00pm - Sun., MIT 
Every $1 you spend will provide three healthy meals to our neighbors in need. Be sure to ask for the Super Hunger Brunc...
Saturday, 9am - Sun., Boston 
Love penguins? Make penguin sand painting embellished with hearts. Take it home in a clear sleeve to give as a card, or...
Saturday, 10am - Sun., Artbeat Creativity Store & Studio, Arlington 
ICA PLAY DATE: CONTEMPORARY FAMILY FILMS
Kids rule the ICA the last Saturday of every month, when the museum fills up with fun, creative, and even zany activiti...
Saturday, 10am, ICA Boston 
Taza Chocolate Story Time: No Monkeys, No Chocolate
Everyone loves chocolate, right? But how many people actually know where chocolate comes from? How it?s made? Or that m...
Saturday, 10:30am, Taza Chocolate Factory, Somerville 
Get out of the cold and into a nice, warm bowl of soup at our Souper Sampling Weekend! Saturday and Sunday, January 27t...
Saturday, 11am - Sun., Wilson Farm, Lexington 
Come to our Winter Open House! Did you decide to get fit this year! Come and check us out and try a class for free. ...
Sunday, 10am, FitLAB Pilates, Cambridge 
Family Concert with MLK's Parents & Teacher!
MLK Music Teacher Mr. Piper and Moms Jasmine Moran and Christina Lively will be performing! Family concert! A cockt...
Saturday 2/03, 2pm, Club Passim, Cambridge 
Grab an MIT friend to go with! Boom! Bam! Pow! Zap! Calling all Superheroes! Welcome to the Superheroes Ball w...
Saturday 2/03, 2pm, Morss Hall Walker Memorial, Memorial Drive, Cambridge
