Children need downtime after school the same way adults need downtime after work. They need to play with their siblings. They need to bond with their parents in a relaxed atmosphere, not one where everyone is stressed about fractions because of – SURPRISE- I’m not a teacher. Children need time to just enjoy their childhoods or are that just for the weekends (although we do homework on Sundays also).
My kid is all done with homework. If the school wants to punish her for it, then I guess I’ll have to figure out how to homeschool. I’m very nervous about it because although I work from home, I do work. I also have a 3-year-old who only goes to preschool two mornings a week. And a 7-year-old in second grade. I’ll have to hire a tutor to help me and will need to find a group of parents doing the same thing, but I have no choice at this point.
We all want our children to grow up and succeed in the world. While I believe in education, I don’t believe for one second that academics should consume a child’s life. I don’t care if she goes to Harvard one day. I just want her to be intelligent, well-rounded, kind, inspired, charitable, spiritual and have balance in her life. I want her to be mentally and emotionally healthy. I want her to know that work is not life, it’s part of life. Work will not fulfill you. It will not keep you warm- family, friends, community, giving back, and being a good person do that.
I suppose I’ll hear from her school tomorrow. We have some decisions to make. But going forward, this is a homework-free household and I don’t care who knows it. My kid needs to be a kid.”
