Homework

 

There's been controversy whether kids should or should not have homework, if so at what stage. I see programs and know people who sit down with their children to do their homework or nag their kids until they do it. Amazing.

I only had parental help with homework once. Then it was grandparental. We'd moved from Massachusetts to West Virginia and my mother found the schools wanting and arranged for me to go a private school. 

However, even in first grade I was way behind. My grandmother took charge and within a month I knew my times tables through 12 and was reading at a third grade level. She made the math part fun, the only time in my life.

As for the reading, I was thrilled to escape the "Run Dick. See Dick run..." for books that were interesting.

Back in Massachusetts, I never remember my parents helping me with homework or even telling me to do it. It was my responsibility and my job was to get good grades and to do the best I could.

In Boston, I was lucky my daughter passed the exam for Boston Latin, the first school in the United States. Harvard was founded for its graduates. It saved me paying for private school

Boston Latin has produced several early presidents, nobel prize winners, writers, musicians and more. Graduate John King of CNN had just begun his career when my daughter began walking Latin's hall.

The curriculum was demanding and homework was required. A lot. Even in the summer, students were given a reading list of 100 books and expected to read 10 which would be tested on in September. I'm sure many of these books are banned in the south.

Since everyone in the house read out of choice, it was never a problem. We might discuss my daughter's choice more on the "What are you reading now?" and we'd exchange titles or not, depending. 

If I asked about homework, it was more on the line "do you have time to do...or do you have too much homework."

Like my mother had told me, I told her, homework was her responsibility. If she wanted to go to university, she needed good grades. 

It might have been easier because part of the time I was in grad school along with working. One of my housemates was working on her undergraduate degree along with working and our studies were often a subject of dinner discussion.

At one point my daughter and housemate were both reading Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea for a course. They both hated the book. When they finished we bought a Cavel Cake to celebrate.

Unless a child has a problem with a subject, I still do not see a reason for parent involvement. Then they might help or hire a tutor. 

I can see a parent supplementing the studies if it is a bad school system but more like exploring historical sites, museums etc. along with movies, amusement parks, nature walks, skating, whatever depending on time and budget. 

If a child fails to do his/her homework, s/he'll have to deal with the teacher. Is s/he gets bad grades that's when a tutor or punishment steps in. It's the type of situtation the child, when it becomes an adult, will have to deal with in the real world. And that maybe the best lesson from the home.