Mom Is Teaching

Many of you know how I feel about homework and if you don’t, you can read about it here.  And, since the subject came up this week with a meltdown from Walker regarding his homework, most of you read the letter I sent to school as well.  I explained what the assistant principal had to say in the matter and now, I want you to know our newly adopted philosophy on homework in our house.  So, here goes…like it, dislike it, whatever, here it is…

*side note*  I want to interrupt here and say this, I am terrified of alienating the teachers at my son’s schools just as much as I am the administrators.  However, I’m not scared enough to let them ruin my son’s childhood.  Respect is a huge issue and as long as they respect my manner of handling “homework”, I will do my best to respect their way of handling “instructional time” during the school day.

So, here’s a copy of an email I sent to someone simply stating how we will approach homework from this point forward.

“At first,  he would come home excited about reviewing his work and showing me what he had learned.  That night and the next night were disasters but then last night he wanted to show me again. 

I don’t mind  homework at all as long as my kid is saying, just because he wants to and not because someone has told me it is “homework”. 

It isn’t really homework in my opinion if he approaches it like that.  So, that’s our general rule from here on out, we talk to him about what the teacher “thinks” he needs to review and then we do the parts that he wants and is excited about. 

Nothing more - if he wants to read, or do sounds or have me read to him, that’s what we are doing.  I just spoke to the Assistant Principal yesterday and she wasn’t thrilled with my approach but …all I can say is …too bad, he is my kid, I think he is way ahead of most and I’m ok with our plan for now. 

If the time comes that we have to change things or make further arrangements with the school, then we will do that when the time comes.  Right now my 3 year old is also very interested in it and he sits and listens too, but no one tells him that he has to and I’m happy about that, they want to learn, they aren’t forced to cram stuff in their head just for memory sake.”

I think that the part in bold “they want to learn’” is absolutely the most important part and I truly believe that all the homework that folks are throwing out there is exactly the reason why our children are turned off in the first place.  So, as long as we are having fun learning, I’m happy with that. 

Discuss please.