The homework hours are excruciating in this house. Yes, I said hours. My 2nd and 4th graders could spend an hour or more on their homework if I let them. I don't let them spend that much time because a) they should be playing and b) I can't stand the sobbing, the stabbing of nubby pencils into torn paper, the feverish erasing, ripped crosswords and scratched math worksheets. What is with these teachers? My fourth-grader's teacher told the kids they should only spend 25 minutes on their homework. Then she told them if they don't complete their homework, they'll have to stay in from recess. Threat or promise--which does the child respond to? I suspect the teacher is judging me based on the fact that C is terrified of the threat.
Meanwhile T, in second grade, brings home subtraction problems that she has no idea how to solve and I have no idea how to help her. Am I suppose to teach her how to subtract 29 from 98? Isn't this the teacher's job? How do I explain that she needs to borrow 1 from the 9 to make 8 an 18 and then subtract 2 from 8 to arrive at 68? How do I articulate this to a child who is heaving great sobs because she doesn't get it while I'm feeling anger at the teacher for not explaining it better and frustration at the child who cannot, will not, admit to her teacher that she doesn't understand. I don't remember even getting homework in 2nd grade, let alone crying about it.
On the bright side of things: the guys made great progress on the house today. Here are some photos that I took after dinner but before the treacherous homework "hour" began:
Look how dark it got in just a few minutes:
Wow now that's what I call renovation. Good luck. I'm sure it will look awesome when it's all said and done.
Posted by: Filipe | June 13, 2011 at 05:19 PM