Doing your kid's homework?

[Cathyclysmic]

So my cubicle mate is doing a report on the history of T.V. for her fifth grader. Not that you asked, but the kid should be doing this report himself.

What's your opinion and/or experience?

[Ariana Celeste]

1. Preparing their kid for a lifetime of dependence?

Awesome.

[NewWaveChick1981]

2. When I needed help with my homework, my mother always obliged.

But she HELPED me---she didn't do it FOR me. :) I always did my own work. My mother, who has a Master of Science in Chemical Engineering from Penn State, taught me how to do fractions when I didn't understand them (fifth grade), but she understood that if I didn't learn how to do it myself, I'd never be able to. To this day, I can do fractions in my head in a matter of seconds. :D

These kids today.... :P

[eyesroll]

3. Parent should help (not hover) when asked.

My parents never, ever ever did my homework for me.
If I had a question, it became, "hmm...let's look that up" or "let's work that problem out" or what have you. We'd go get the encyclopedia (or on rare occasions, go to the library), and look together.

My parents did help with things like constructing a backdrop for a science-fair exhibit, and when I made a thumb piano in 6th grade, my dad helped in a more hands-on way (because it involved saws and safety goggles), but I still did most of the work.

If I said, "I NEED WOOD AND PAINT AND BOBBY PINS FOR A PROJECT!!!" and the question was "when is this due" and the answer was "tomorrow," the follow-up question -- "when was this assigned?" -- better damn well have been answered with "today!" and not "three weeks ago!" If I waited until the last second to do something I knew needed parental help, I went without. Consequences, and all that.

Teachers want to see what the kids can do, not what their parents can do. As if a teacher would't recognize the difference between an adult's report and an 11-year-old's.

[Shine]

4. I voted Other b/c sometimes there's situations where the parent has to help

Perhaps the kid doesn't have access to a computer at home and the mom is helping out with the typing portion of the report.

When my kid was in the 5th grade we were told that it was OK for the parents to "help" the kids type the paper, if it was already written out by them, ahead of time. Let's face it, we're a lot faster typists than they are.

My 7th grader is in Honors Math this year and the stuff he comes home with is very challenging. I couldn't help him even if I wanted to! :D LOL.

[Cathyclysmic]

6. Good point about the computer

But, no, they have a computer and a printer at home. She was just talking to her husband on the phone about how she wants to get it done today at work, so she is not "up all night" writing the paper.

I have to say, I'm annoyed...maybe envious that this kid has a free paper writing service.:grr:

[buddhamama]

5. i offer whatever help i can to my son

but i won't DO the work.

[NewWaveChick1981]

7. Oh, one more thing...

...I worked at colleges and universities over a 20-year period and am about to start working at one again. I saw way too many "Mommy did it for me" students---and that included college essays, paperwork, assignments, etc. Maybe kids can bluff their way all the way through high school, but getting through college won't be so easy. Sure, there are ways these same kids can buy papers, but those are usually caught by professors. Their parents do them NO favors by doing their work for them.

[Cathyclysmic]

8. That's exactly my issue.

How is this kid going to make it? Sure, you could argue that this history of T.V. is trivial. But, the kid should be figuring out how to handle stress, meet deadlines, time management and all that other boring crap that knowing makes your day (and college) go smoother.

Worst case scenario, her kid becomes one of those adults who thinks there are 52 states. At best, he will just struggle in college...who knows.

[Left Is Write]

9. I am happy to help my kids with homework.

"Help" means just that, though - it does not mean "do the kid's project myself."

[TheFriendlyAnarchist]

10. As a ninth grader, first of all, school assign too much homework, and not enough thinking.

Second of all, the kid should actually do all of the homework, BUT, the parent should help provide resources and possibly idea's if the kid is stuck.

[JVS]

11. Lazy assed kids need to do their own fucking work

[Lyric]

12. My first-grader has three hours of homework

every night. That it utter crap. I recall reading somewhere that a child his age shouldn't have more than a hour's worth of homework every night, but his teacher seems to have missed that.

And yeah, I'll admit it---there have been times that I've told my kid the answer to a question after 15 minutes of him not being able to figure it out for himself. I don't feel guilty about it either. I sure as hell didn't have to worry about being able to do long division in first grade.

No Child Left Behind my ass. :grr: