Parenting issues

[Space Freely]

How do you guys feel about elementary school kids getting assigned homework?

http://community.today.com/parentingteam/post/heres-why-i-said-no-to-homework

[Relaxer]

HOLY SHIT DON'T GET ME STARTED

Last year, my FIRST GRADER had a spelling test of 20 words every Friday, requiring nightly study, PLUS a worksheet to do every night (including weekends) PLUS was expected to read 15 minutes a night. It was unbelievable.

His second grade teacher is not as bad, but he still has at least 30 minutes of homework plus 20 minutes of reading required. He is 7.

Meanwhile, older kid (11yo) needed two and a half hours last night to do his homework.

It's ridiculous. I don't remember any substantial homework until high school.

[Julian, Bespoke SEXPERT]

It's ridiculous. I don't remember any substantial homework until high school.

I definitely had "substantial" (as in circa an hour a night with larger "science projects" or "social studies projects" intermingled) homework starting in 4th grade. In lower elementary school it was never more than a 10-minute math worksheet or something like that.

[godsshoeshine]

yep, kindergartner has homework already. i probably wouldn't mind as much except its only half day kindergarten, which means 3 hours a day. i mean, if they can't accomplish everything in three hours, maybe it should be full day...

[Space Freely]

It's ridiculous. I don't remember any substantial homework until high school.

I definitely had "substantial" (as in circa an hour a night with larger "science projects" or "social studies projects" intermingled) homework starting in 4th grade. In lower elementary school it was never more than a 10-minute math worksheet or something like that.

Children are in school seven hours a day. Why should they be expected to do schoolwork on top of that?

As an adult, are you expected/required by your employer to do work at home at night beyond the eight (or more?) hours you put in at the office during the day?

[Julian, Bespoke SEXPERT]

Children are in school seven hours a day. Why should they be expected to do schoolwork on top of that?

As an adult, are you expected/required by your employer to do work at home at night beyond the eight (or more?) hours you put in at the office during the day?

I wasn't saying "AND THAT'S HOW IT SHOULD BE."

I agree young children should not have substantial homework. In college homework is a reality so I do think kids should be weaned into homework at some point before then but I agree hours and hours of homework for middle schoolers is overkill.

[Space Freely]

Children are in school seven hours a day. Why should they be expected to do schoolwork on top of that?

As an adult, are you expected/required by your employer to do work at home at night beyond the eight (or more?) hours you put in at the office during the day?

I wasn't saying "AND THAT'S HOW IT SHOULD BE."

I agree young children should not have substantial homework. In college homework is a reality so I do think kids should be weaned into homework at some point before then but I agree hours and hours of homework for middle schoolers is overkill.

Sorry, I didn't take your comment to mean you thought young children should have substantial homework. I should have been more clear about that. I was just playing off your comment.

[sweetcell]

As an adult, are you expected/required by your employer to do work at home at night beyond the eight (or more?) hours you put in at the office during the day?

if you work for the government, no.  depending on what private or NGO you work for, maybe.  while working in consulting, working evenings and weekend was an unavoidable reality, one of reason why i got out.  my strategy has been only partially successful: at my current gig, i'd say i have to work at home about 25-40% of the time.

[bob72]

as a very intelligent woman once said.... "I dream of an America with nudity and F-words on network TV, where the whole world doesn't stop because a school bus did. Children are the future?today belongs to me!"

The joys of being childless!

suck it parents! that's what you get for having kids!

[Space Freely]

As an adult, are you expected/required by your employer to do work at home at night beyond the eight (or more?) hours you put in at the office during the day?

if you work for the government, no.  depending on what private or NGO you work for, maybe.  while working in consulting, working evenings and weekend was an unavoidable reality, one of reason why i got out.  my strategy has been only partially successful: at my current gig, i'd say i have to work at home about 25-40% of the time.

What if everybody just said no to this. Would the world fall apart? I mean with computers and shit, we're already doing way more work than the paper pushers in generations past.

What if we didn't spend x% of our time posting on message boards or reading things on the internet unrelated to our jobs. Would we still need to spend our evenings doing work?

[Space Freely]

as a very intelligent woman once said.... "I dream of an America with nudity and F-words on network TV, where the whole world doesn't stop because a school bus did. Children are the future?today belongs to me!"

The joys of being childless!

suck it parents! that's what you get for having kids!

I wonder if you'll feel this way when you're 85 in a nursing home and have nobody left who gives a shit about you?

[godsshoeshine]

As an adult, are you expected/required by your employer to do work at home at night beyond the eight (or more?) hours you put in at the office during the day?

if you work for the government, no.  depending on what private or NGO you work for, maybe.  while working in consulting, working evenings and weekend was an unavoidable reality, one of reason why i got out.  my strategy has been only partially successful: at my current gig, i'd say i have to work at home about 25-40% of the time.

What if everybody just said no to this. Would the world fall apart? I mean with computers and shit, we're already doing way more work than the paper pushers in generations past.

What if we didn't spend x% of our time posting on message boards or reading things on the internet unrelated to our jobs. Would we still need to spend our evenings doing work?

actually, it makes it a lot easier to justify ducking out midday for a kid-school thing if you're available more than just 9-5

[Space Freely]

As an adult, are you expected/required by your employer to do work at home at night beyond the eight (or more?) hours you put in at the office during the day?

if you work for the government, no.  depending on what private or NGO you work for, maybe.  while working in consulting, working evenings and weekend was an unavoidable reality, one of reason why i got out.  my strategy has been only partially successful: at my current gig, i'd say i have to work at home about 25-40% of the time.

What if everybody just said no to this. Would the world fall apart? I mean with computers and shit, we're already doing way more work than the paper pushers in generations past.

What if we didn't spend x% of our time posting on message boards or reading things on the internet unrelated to our jobs. Would we still need to spend our evenings doing work?

actually, it makes it a lot easier to justify ducking out midday for a kid-school thing if you're available more than just 9-5

Are you talking about half day kindegarten (I wasn't even aware they still did that)? What other kid-school things require you to duck out midday?

[bob72]

I wonder if you'll feel this way when you're 85 in a nursing home and have nobody left who gives a shit about you?

Your counterpoint is invalid. There are plenty of people in nursing homes nobody gives a shit about that have kids. I find that more disturbing.

[godsshoeshine]

As an adult, are you expected/required by your employer to do work at home at night beyond the eight (or more?) hours you put in at the office during the day?

if you work for the government, no.  depending on what private or NGO you work for, maybe.  while working in consulting, working evenings and weekend was an unavoidable reality, one of reason why i got out.  my strategy has been only partially successful: at my current gig, i'd say i have to work at home about 25-40% of the time.

What if everybody just said no to this. Would the world fall apart? I mean with computers and shit, we're already doing way more work than the paper pushers in generations past.

What if we didn't spend x% of our time posting on message boards or reading things on the internet unrelated to our jobs. Would we still need to spend our evenings doing work?

actually, it makes it a lot easier to justify ducking out midday for a kid-school thing if you're available more than just 9-5

Are you talking about half day kindegarten (I wasn't even aware they still did that)? What other kid-school things require you to duck out midday?

other kids school things. field trips, doctors appointments, holiday parties, ect.