Are we being fair on our children?
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Re: Are we being fair on our children?
My older daughter spends a large amount of her time doing her homework each night, but that's because she likes trying to make her work very neat.
Waiting_For_Godot there's a documentary out in America called Race to nowhere, where it looks at the stain of too much school work on children.
Waiting_For_Godot there's a documentary out in America called Race to nowhere, where it looks at the stain of too much school work on children.
;D
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Re: Are we being fair on our children?
Mine are like Belinda's - they might well be doing homework at 11pm, but that's becuase they have faffed about all evening, with their phones, Eastenders and a major crises on the what to do on Saturday front, before they remember that ooops they have 4 essays for tomorrow.
I would really worry if they were working from 4 30 till 11 though, something's not right if they are
I would really worry if they were working from 4 30 till 11 though, something's not right if they are
Re: Are we being fair on our children?
DS works fairly quickly but it's art, his weakest subject, that takes the longest to complete ... sometimes 2 hours! The problem - if it can be called a problem - is that he can produce something passable if it's simply a case of copying a picture and if he puts in the time and effort. He may decide it's no longer worth this amount of time and effort when he needs to be more creative. What we have found is that although Friday night is a no homework night (Thursday, too, but because of other activities) there is usually work to be done every night till about 8pm and, occasionally, later. I certainly wouldn't want him to be doing more. I do wish homework could be done when necessary rather than because there's a homework timetable saying that it must be done.
Re: Are we being fair on our children?
Spoke too soon. He's still doing homework ... and it's art!
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Re: Are we being fair on our children?
KS10 wrote:Spoke too soon. He's still doing homework ... and it's art!
Re: Are we being fair on our children?
That made me smileKS10 wrote:Spoke too soon. He's still doing homework ... and it's art!
Vic x
Re: Are we being fair on our children?
I come at this from the other side of the tracks. I went to a very poor inner city school and was one of the "top achievers" as I left school with 5 C grade GCSE's. My OH is also from a similar background. There was very little/ no support from parents, school was somewhere you sent the kids to get rid of them for a few hours.
Thankfully as we grew up, we realised that education is the only way out, we went back to school got higher level qualifications and my OH has a good job, I am currently at university at the age of 31 with a 10yr old and a 4yr old and it is one of the hardest things I have ever had to juggle (kids, uni work, paid work, family time, dropping off at rugby and gymnastics, never mind cleaning etc! )
If my OH and I push and coax our DC's to give them the very best start that they can have so that they can start their lives on an even keel or maybe even a little in front is that such a bad thing? We have brought them up to believe that they can be / achieve anything in life if they work hard and put the effort in. The hard work doesn't need to start once they qualify from uni or wherever. The hard work starts now and will carry on for as long as they want to be successful. My question is, are we being fair by not pushing them and giving them the best education we can? I know which I would rather choose.
p.s I am not a dragon mother honest, just one that wants a better start for her kids than I had
Thankfully as we grew up, we realised that education is the only way out, we went back to school got higher level qualifications and my OH has a good job, I am currently at university at the age of 31 with a 10yr old and a 4yr old and it is one of the hardest things I have ever had to juggle (kids, uni work, paid work, family time, dropping off at rugby and gymnastics, never mind cleaning etc! )
If my OH and I push and coax our DC's to give them the very best start that they can have so that they can start their lives on an even keel or maybe even a little in front is that such a bad thing? We have brought them up to believe that they can be / achieve anything in life if they work hard and put the effort in. The hard work doesn't need to start once they qualify from uni or wherever. The hard work starts now and will carry on for as long as they want to be successful. My question is, are we being fair by not pushing them and giving them the best education we can? I know which I would rather choose.
p.s I am not a dragon mother honest, just one that wants a better start for her kids than I had
Vic x
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Re: Are we being fair on our children?
FluffyD - you are definitely not a dragon mother, but a caring, supportive one, who realises the importance of education and hard work.
However, I think WFG was saying that its unfair to expect kids to frequently work long hours, longer than alot of adults. She is not condemning hard work per se (one son is a musician so has alot of extra music practice) but just making the point that are some kids work to 11pm every night and whether this is too much for them.
Hope your studies are going well. What are you studying?
However, I think WFG was saying that its unfair to expect kids to frequently work long hours, longer than alot of adults. She is not condemning hard work per se (one son is a musician so has alot of extra music practice) but just making the point that are some kids work to 11pm every night and whether this is too much for them.
Hope your studies are going well. What are you studying?
Re: Are we being fair on our children?
I agree that working until that time every night is not acceptable, there is a fine balance between working hard to succeed and enjoying childhood while they still have a little bit left!pheasantchick wrote:FluffyD - you are definitely not a dragon mother, but a caring, supportive one, who realises the importance of education and hard work.
However, I think WFG was saying that its unfair to expect kids to frequently work long hours, longer than alot of adults. She is not condemning hard work per se (one son is a musician so has alot of extra music practice) but just making the point that are some kids work to 11pm every night and whether this is too much for them.
Hope your studies are going well. What are you studying?
I think that if my DC's were expected to be working until that time every night I would be having words with the school though on the other hand, as a LFH said, it could just be that the children involved are taking every opportunity for distraction. I cannot even remember if this is a hypothetical conversation or if there is some poor little man out there slogging his guts out all night every night. I am shattered as DS (age4) was up most of the night full of cold.
I am studying Biomedical Science btw.
Vic x
Re: Are we being fair on our children?
It's certainly not hypothetical, I know of one that works until 11-11:30 every night. Child in question is distinctly OCD/Aspergers and parents ought to draw a line IMHO, but child is doing exceedingly well (you'd hope so though wouldn't you!) and doesn't seem to be suffering ill effects so who am I to judge?
Our eldest has been known to be still working about 10:30-ish but only when it was something he forgot to do until the night before or has spent DAYS staring despondently at the page or screen before he started. Goodness knows how he'll cope with GCSEs .
Mike
Our eldest has been known to be still working about 10:30-ish but only when it was something he forgot to do until the night before or has spent DAYS staring despondently at the page or screen before he started. Goodness knows how he'll cope with GCSEs .
Mike