Someone once told me to pick my battles when it came to parenting. Something I am not always good at remembering. However, after having the same battle week after week with Roo, I suddenly realised that it wasn’t going to stop unless we found a solution.
The battle?
Homework
Roo and Tigger’s school have a high expectation when it comes to homework. Something I’m not against, however, some of it is not always practical.
The expectation
- Reading a minimum of four times a week
- Maths a minimum of four times a week
- Spellings
- A challenge from their current project (usually nine challenges are set each half term with at least six required to be completed)
Maths, reading, and spellings are easily completed across the week. Alternating maths and reading each night with an extra session and spellings thrown in at the weekends. It is the projects that are a headache. Some of the challenges include things that they haven’t even covered in class yet. Some require additional research and resources that whilst we have some bits at home I can’t drop everything and head into the city to get extra with all three children.
Whilst Tigger will sit down and complete a project reluctantly as he’d rather be playing on Skylanders. Roo, however, is a different kettle of fish. We clash over the whole thing, she snaps, I snap – it’s just not productive.
Each week it was the same argument until before Christmas I’d had enough. I sat down with Roo and explained that I felt it would be better for her to complete her challenges at homework club each week. She’d have access to the resources, computers, and teachers should she need them. Enabling her to complete a challenge on one day rather than dragging it out over the length of a week.
So since the beginning of this year, she has been attending homework club on a Monday night after school. Allowing her to complete at least one challenge from the terms project each week. From PowerPoint presentations, posters and models. She’s managed to get her homework completed and I haven’t had to have the same battle with her again and again.
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