I have to say I am amused by the whole pissing match above. But it makes me thankful to have kids that are independent learners. Certainly makes this whole "painful homework" as they get older things moot. Sure kids get assigned a lot more homework as they go up in grade work and it takes more time some days. But it is their work not mine. They may have the occasional question but they are fewer as they go up in grade work not more. I have no problem helping them if they need help but they need to try it on their own first. Homework should be a review.

Even when we have Science Fair, Research fair presentations, papers, or other major projects it isn't a major deal x3 because it is their work. I am there for guidance, sounding board, review, editing. I enjoy doing these projects so I don't really see them as taking away from family times but more adding to. But still THEY do the research, they put the project together, they make the board or power point, not me. But they have helped me make bulletin boards for the school for years so their boards usually use my bulletin board materials and look like little mini me boards. What was that saying in college, "If you can dazzle them with brilliance, blind them with bullsh*t" Yeah, my kids have learned how to make their presentations look professional. I didn't read the books to know if their content is great but damn they look good. And it makes me proud. LOL They get A's so I assume the content was good as well.

My goal is to raise Autonomous learners that don't need me riding them to get their work done. And yes I am a STRONG believer in involved parents in education. But that doesn't NOT include sitting, checking and enforcing homework once kids are capable of doing it independently. But rather still having family reading time even long after your kids are independent readers. Volunteering at the school, having spontaneous conversations about different event (not ones that have to be assigned as family discussions. I find that absurd. It should be called family dinner.)

So in the end I found the homework in K more annoying because it was homework for ME. Even though my kids were independent readers going into K they had to fill out these stupid reading logs nightly with the name of the book, author, illustrator, number of pages and the time read. Annoying x3 I finally refused to do it anymore. They also did the AR tests so she knew what they were reading. The worksheets I could deal with. It was those logs. And we never did the books they sent home. They were reading many grades ahead so we read our own books. Why waste time on books we didn't need. They wanted to read harry so they read Harry. Just make it work for you.

Tasha
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