Strollerderby : homework

Mom Charged for Calling Son 49 Times a Day

JeanneSager — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 15:31:00 GMT

You can love your kids. Just don't LOVE your kids so much you start stalking them.

In a case of helicopter parenting gone absolutely sky high, a seventy-three-year-old Austrian woman has been charged with stalking her son after two straight years of calling him as much as forty-nine times a day for two and a half years.

That's an average of twice an hour! Break it down to just waking hours, and yikes!

The woman says she isn't able to talk to her son or daughter and has never met her fifteen-year-old grandchild. And she didn't think there was a reason for that? You've got to wonder what kind of smotherer she was when her kids were living at home. Did she chat them up through homework time and make them report in when they wanted to go to the bathroom?

I used to be a big phone person, and I still have one aunt who I can talk with for a straight three hours on the phone (with repeated interjections from my three-year-old and her four-year-old and seven-year-old, mind you). But that's not every day - or even every week.

What can a mother and child have to talk about forty-nine times in one day? We don't even talk to our spouses that much if you think about it - we might say more than forty-nine sentences, but "honey, can you get me another roll of toilet paper?" is hardly worth dialing out about.

Now that I'm a parent, I have a lot less time for talking on the phone, and this guy has a fifteen-year-old. What about you; do you talk to your parents more or less now that YOU'RE a parent?

Image: VBHComm (not stalker grandma)

Worksheets Die a Green Death, Kids Celebrate

JeanneSager — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 14:34:00 GMT

Oh what I wouldn't have given to skip worksheets in grade school. The totally useless (in a kid's mind anyway) busy work handed out by bored teachers to get us to sit down and shut up.

I guess I was just born a few decades too early. Sigh.

Teachers are saying bye bye to the worksheet in an effort to both cut costs and cut their carbon footprint, and today's kids are loving it.

They write their papers on a computer, read books on the computer, even do their homework on scanned PDFs available via the Internet. The teachers are finding themselves spending less time at the copy machine (or less time sending their assistants to the copy machine) and more time for classroom instruction or preparation for instruction. And the kids, they say, are more engaged. Used to cell phones, Wiis and constant electronic connections, being plugged in inside the classroom has meant better student engagement.

And, of course, there's that cost issue - even in better economic times, schools across the country could always used more money. Now, the financial issues are dire in some districts - where teachers have sold ad space on testpapers, administrators have called for kids to bring their own toilet paper and all classroom appliances have been yanked.

With kids learning about Twitter and Wikipedia in England and these efforts, are you worried our kids will never be able to unplug? Or are you just happy to see a greener planet that costs you less green?

Image/Source: Boston Herald

Cracking Down on Parents' "Help" with Homework

Shannon LC Cate — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 18:00:00 GMT

Some schools in the Chicago area are trying to crack down on parent "help" on big projects, like science fair displays. Science fair judges say the problem has been becoming greater in recent years. Competition for college is one theory. But the upshot is that when parents help kids too much with projects, the kids often don't learn very much. Instead, kids find it harder to complete smaller assignments, being unused to work and having not learned to self-regulate.

Another issue is that professional parents with jobs like engineer or doctor are able to "help" their kids to a much higher level than less educated, less privileged parents. One colleague of mine here at Strollerderby wondered why parents with those kinds of jobs can't spend some time with their kids' classmates, sharing their expertise with those with less privilege at home. They can't claim to not have the time, given the obvious time that goes into projects like the mechanical teddy bears and crude oil distillation projects mentioned at the Chicago Tribune.

I have to wonder about the value of these huge take-home projects in the first place. My own theory is that kids too young to handle such enormous assignments should not be assigned them in the first place. I think a class project at school is a much better way to make sure that every kid learns something, rather than, for example, asking second graders to build something using electricity and magnets (another Tribune example). Some teachers in the article agree with me, it seems and are moving toward group and individual projects to be completed during school hours rather than assigned for homework.

My kids have yet to attend school and may end up doing several years of home schooling--in part to avoid these kinds of projects of questionable educational value. What is your policy on big school projects? How much do you help? Does your school have a way to regulate parent involvement in such assignments?

image: bizarro.com

Doing Homework On Lincoln's Desk

Brett Singer — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 20:00:00 GMT

There are many important questions our new President must face. But one of them is not in dispute – which First Daughter will get Lincoln's desk.

That would be Malia, who cheekily called dibs on the 16th President's writing surface back in November (after her dad won, of course). She told Poppa Obama that she wanted to sit there when she had a paper to write for school, "because I'm thinking that will inspire big thoughts."

Lest you think this plan was forgotten in the Inaugural hoopla, the New York Times confirmed it in a front-page article on January 20th:

Where in the White House is Malia likely to gather her thoughts when she has a tough school assignment? (At Lincoln’s desk where he penned the Gettysburg Address.)

No word on where Sasha will sit and gather her thoughts. Me, I did it at the kitchen table. Come to think of it, I still do sometimes.

Source: NY Times, ABC

Image Source

Sasha and Malia Get Bored

Third Printing For Obama/Spider-man Comic Book

The Obama Kids First Day Of School

Obama Says His Kids Are Cooler Than He Is

VIDEO-Obama Kids Say DC Schools Are Wimpy

Parents Ripped Off On Inauguration Trip?

Don't Forget to Check the Kids' Homework

KeriF — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 14:03:00 GMT

One mother found out the hard way how important it is to check your kids' homework before sending it in.

It may look like this child's mother is a pole-dancing stripper (and a quite profitable one at that), but take a closer look at her "pole" and read the mother's embarassed explanation sent in the following day:

Dear Mrs. Jones,

I wish to clarify that I am not now, nor have I ever been, an exotic dancer.

I work at Home Depot and I told my daughter how hectic it was last week before the blizzard hit. I told her we sold out every single shovel we had, and then I found one more in the back room, and that several people were fighting over who would get it.

Her picture doesn't show me dancing around a pole. It's supposed to depict me selling the last snow shovel we had at Home Depot.

From now on I will remember to check her homework more thoroughly before she turns it in.

Sincerely,
Mrs. Smith

Makes me wonder what my kids think I do all day...

Photo and thanks: nyceducator.com

Why You Should Check Even Little Kids Homework

Brett Singer — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 23:00:00 GMT

This is making the email rounds and I thought I would share it with you.

In general, I feel like my children should be responsible for their own homework. At the moment they are too young to be doing complex math problems or writing 20 page reports. But they might get an assignment like this one: "Draw a picture of one of your parents at work."

So what exactly is mommy doing in this adorable little example of kiddie art?

Well, get your mind out of the gutter people – according to this blog, Mommy is in retail. She works at Home Depot. And that's a shovel. The other people are customers who would like to purchase the shovel, as well as other home improvement supplies.

Why? Does it look like she's doing something else? What do you mean?

Ann Coulter had no comment on the image. But she would probably say it was a single mother.

Source: yewnorkbabe, and 4,000 email forwards

Obama/Spider-man Comic Book Sold Out, Reprint Planned

Mom Saves Kids From Sinking SUV

Babble Talk: Points For Honesty

Kids to Obama: Read Books, Eat More Ice Cream

UPDATE: Kid Kissing A Pig - The Musical

Organic Dreams or Toxic Nightmares? You Pick

Balancing Work and Parenting—When You're the First Lady

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 23:00:00 GMT

It’s hard to think of a more challenging place to balance work and parenting than the White House. But in an interview with Newsweek, Michelle Obama explains how she plans to continuing to being a “mom first.”

Fortunately, according to Michelle, Barack “loves hard work” and she loves “timetables and timelines and all that good stuff,” so they’re maintaining their cool in the face of a massive transition.

She hopes to continue keeping family life separate from work life, which she says she and Barack have mostly managed to do for the last year-and-a-half. She acknowledges that it will doubtless become more challenging once they’re in the White House, but says that “staying connected to friends and family who know you” helps. To the end, she’s hoping that her mother will move to D.C. with them, so she can continue to be actively involved in her granddaughters' lives.

Michelle has been adamant about finding the right schools for Sasha and Malia, attending parent-teacher conferences and all of their events, and getting them involved in activities they’re excited about—in other words, she and Barack will remain devoted, hands-on parents “no matter what their father’s job is.”

Michelle believes this level of commitment is important not only for Sasha and Malia, but as a model for other families: if even the president of the United States helps his kids with his homework, we can all find time to help our kids with their homework. “[Kids] have to be center in this society and this nation. We have to put their education, their needs, their well-being first and foremost. As adults, we can balance the other stuff. We're the grown-ups,” Michelle said, laughing.

As for the criticism she faced on the campaign trail, Michelle said, “Regardless of how they feel about Barack or the candidates, people are decent and they're kind. They are willing to give you a chance to prove yourself to them.” Now there is a lesson to pass on to our kids.

Balancing Work and Parenting—When You're a Campaign Reporter

They Say: Our Kids Are Anxious

Adrienne Martini — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 19:30:00 GMT

Ready for this week's sobering data? The average kid today is more anxious than a 1950's kid who is also a psychiatric patient.

According to this 2000 study, the 1980s were a boom time for anxious kids. And the trend hasn't decreased, which stands to reason if these anxious kids are now having kids and passing the anxiety along because they don't realize how anxious they are.

Frankly, just thinking about that -- given that I was a kid in the 1980s -- makes me anxious.

The question, of course, is why this is happening. Don't we know so much more about raising children than our parents did? Aren't we more financially secure? Don't we lavish our kids with so much more of everything than we were lavished with?

The answers the researchers came up with may surprise you.

Photo credit: Victor Bezrukov

Homework: The Key to World Peace

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Thu, 08 May 2008 16:30:00 GMT

At least when it’s done in a fun, healthy environment with one-on-one help as needed. And finished before 5:30 so children can enjoy time outside and with their families. Happy children lead to happy families lead to happy communities lead to…you get the point.

This is the theory behind 826Valencia and 826NYC, writing and tutoring “labs” founded by writer and self-described literary entrepreneur Dave Eggers. This year, the TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) conference awarded Eggers its 2008 prize for his work connecting writing volunteers with young writers, from high schoolers writing novels to ESL students who need help with their homework.

Eggers' acceptance speech is worth watching, and not only because it’ll make you laugh. He offers practical advice for getting kids excited about writing and doing their homework (really!), and lists some easy ways community members can get involved in local public schools. As a volunteer for 826NYC, I can attest to the fact that the center has worked out the magical formula to make children excited about writing. And, at the risk of sounding incredibly sappy, I must say that it's a real joy to witness. (Photo: www.826nyc.org)

School Libraries Lure Students With Coffee

Madeline Holler — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 18:31:00 GMT

We Americans are a heavily beveraged culture. If we’re not holding a creamy iced-coffee in a clear plastic cup, we’re swigging water from brightly colored Nalgene or disposable plastic sport bottles. Our kids suck on sippy cups more often than soldiers carrying canteens. Everybody’s holding something potable in one hand or the other.

Some school libraries are conceding to the ubiquitous water bottle or can of Red Bull and letting kid patrons sip while they read in order to attract more students. Other schools are taking advantage of unquenchable thirst and setting up cafes right next to the stacks. Student workers make the macchiatas while the librarians sit behind the desk and observe for the first time what a student in a library actually looks like.

School officials say allowing food, drink and the spoken word in libraries increases reading and studying by promoting the place as a hangout. Critics say the cafes are just another source of sugar, fat and caffeine for the kids and kind of negates any progress made in getting rid of vending machines. Profits often go towards scholarships (for those students who now have to hide under a rock to concentrate?).

One teen interviewed in the article said the library would be boring without the food and drink and he wouldn't go there. So here’s my question – is getting teens to sit next to books actually promoting the library for its intended use? Isn’t that like putting your notes under your pillow to study for an exam? I suppose accommodating the liquid lifeline that no person under 18 has ever had to go without will get a least a few more people through the doors. But actual library users were probably already sneaking it in anyway.

Photo: Associated Press

Hey, Teacher, Leave Those Kids' (Parents) Alone!

Madeline Holler — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 22:23:00 GMT

Don’t get me wrong, I love reading and writing and thinking and talking and everything about learning and mind expansion and all that.

And I love supporting my kid’s school, helping the teachers, setting a good example for my daughter. I even feel a little crushed when I see the same faces at school meetings, wishing more parents would just get involved.

So I’m not sure why, but I’m really irritated with this New Jersey high school teacher who assigns the parents of his students homework. The students’ grades even depend on whether the parents do their assignments.

Parents are told to read Kafka and presidential speeches and all kinds of things I would love to read and discuss with my daughter. But being told to? Holding my kid’s grade hostage? Screw you, Teach!

He says his aim is to give parents something to discuss with their kids, blah, blah, but I’m just thinking, "butt out!" What makes him think we’re not already discussing Continental literature and deconstructing political rhetoric. I mean, we’re not. But how does he know that?

Photo: New York Times

Kids Using MySpace to [cough] Do Homework

Karen Murphy — Sun, 19 Aug 2007 15:14:00 GMT

Damn. If only there had been social utilities like MySpace and Facebook when I was a kid, and then I could have come up with thousands of creative ways to ~~waste time~~ network. But no, I had to make due with the antiquated telephone, spending hours on the phone with friends learning to play songs using the buttons on our brand-new touch-tone set (yep! always on the cutting edge of technology!). We called it "doing homework".

But now! Kids can ~~waste time~~ claim to be doing homework a whole new way! Some things don't change.

Yep, 60% of kids 9-17 now are using social networking sites in order to "discuss homework". I love this. I hope they all have their own Blackberries too. Seriously, would you let your kid do this? Can you stop them?

Let's Ban Academic Preschools: Kids Should Play

Karen Murphy — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 16:28:00 GMT

I get a little sick inside when I hear about preschools that send homework home for three-year-olds. Homework? I think homework is ridiculous in first grade, let alone preschool. Since when did we decide to take the fun out of childhood?

Kids in preschool should be allowed to play. Period. That's how kids learn, in case anyone forgot this. They learn through play: experimenting, trying new things, building their own minds. Through play they learn how to learn. Drilling kids this age on numbers or the alphabet gives them no long-term advantage, and in fact can just take the joy right out of learning. Learning for kids should be a joyous discovery, not a tedious rote drill.

A study from 1999 showed that kids in play-based preschool curricula "showed stronger academic performance in all subject areas measured compared to children who had been in more academically focused or more middle-of-the-road programs". There you have it. Don't just take my opinion for it.

But I guess the real problem is kindergarten. Kindergartens nowadays are a far cry from the one I went to, where you learn to ~~eat~~ use paste and scissors and trace things on stupid worksheets (excessively boring to a kid who was reading at a 3rd grade level). Now they expect reading, from what I understand. So parents want their kids prepared for this, which in itself is ridiculous, all to meet requirements for inane programs like No Child Left Behind, which is good in theory ("left behind"? I don't want my kid left behind! Do you?) but lacks severely in practice. Whatever happened to just teaching kids what they need to know in grades 1-12? How did that get so messed up and so many other things crammed in that we have to take away our kids' childhoods in order to fit it all in?

But the madness has to stop somewhere, and I say let kids be kids a little while longer and let them play. They have years and years ahead of them in which to get all cynical and burned out on life.

Picking a Preschool: What Are the Deal-Breakers?

Jessica Ashley (Sassafrass) — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 22:06:00 GMT

Several months ago, in a desperate hunt for daycare, my husband and I began preschool shopping in our neighborhood and every location close enough for me to get to without a car. We were suddenly thrust into the stressful situation of picking a preschool, a much bigger choice with many more variables than we'd ever imagined. We had some vague expectations of the place that would be a good fit for our family -- diverse, safe, bright and clean, buzzing with activity with definitive quiet and nap times, supportive and concerned about life outside the facility. What I wasn't prepared for was the issue of homework. HOMEWORK! In the two- and three-year old room.

The tour guide administrator laughed it off as more of a guideline than a rule that the kids complete worksheets tracing letters and numbers and coloring pictures. But, she added, nearly every kid does nearly every worksheet nearly every night. Sure, to some this sounds like leg-up early education but to me, the child of two very opinionated educators, this sounded like way too much. When I brought up the issue to one reading and writing specialist, she responded matter-of-factly, "This is ridiculous. Most kids aren't developmentally ready for reading or even for tracing. It serves no purpose. Kids read when they are ready and it is no indication of how smart they are. The end."

Yeah yeah yeah, you might be sputtering, but my child is not "most kids!" She's brilliant! She's ready! I happen to think my own child is pretty freaking smart, too, and he may love sitting down with a worksheet every night. I don't think it serves any purpose other than making the preschool market themselves as an academic machine and I will not add homework to my kid's backpack when he isn't even three yet. There's plenty of time for all that. We chose to keep looking for the right preschool and opted instead for a nice little in-home daycare. For now, I'm happy with him being in a place where play is king and where he's learning the fine art of socialization rather than how to get that little line on the Q just right.

Homework Stressing Out Kids

Sarah, Goon Squad Sarah — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 11:40:00 GMT

I ran across an article online where a mother was wondering what to do. Her daughter, who was in kindergarten, was getting really stressed out over her homework. The problem is her child is a perfectionist and the mom was wondering if she should ignore the problem or help the little girl with her homework.

I think it is clear that if your child is having problems with homework you should help them. Fortunately the author of the article agrees.

At first when I read this I thought the mom was asking if she should do her daughter's homework for her. I want to say I am four square against that. The kid will never be self-reliant if you take on her responsibilities this early. I'm glad that wasn't the question, but I am concerned about a child getting that worked up about her kindergarten homework. I'm no child development specialist, but I think beyond just helping her out this mom might want to check into relaxation techniques to help her daughter calm down. If she is this jacked up about her homework now, she is going to have a nervous breakdown when she gets to long division.

Who is giving kindergarteners homework anyway? I never got homework when I was five. Did you?