Valerie Zilinsky
My son is an A student. Or so I thought. Each Monday, he brings
home a folder with all of the previous week's schoolwork. And
each week, I usually go through his papers, with a proud smile
on my face.
But this week, there was an unpleasant surprise. My son brought
home an "E"!! My husband got angry, and I was just plain
disappointed. Sure, kids have a bad day now and then, or get a
tough assignment. But lately, I have noticed more and more "C"
& "D" papers passing through my hands on Monday
afternoons.
It isn't because he can't do the work. I know my son better than
that. He's used to homework that comes easy to him, but now that
he's entering the middle school grades, he's finding that he actually
has to work at his assignments. It amazes me when he asks me for
help on a problem, and I can flip one page in his book and see
the answer right there. I hand the book right back to him, and
tell him he needs to really try for himself before I help him.
He gets tired and frustrated, but at least he's learning to put
some effort into finding the answers.
As a parent, it's important to remember that your child's grades
are not a reflection of your parenting skills. So how can you
help your struggling child without doing the work for him? Here
are some great places to find some homework help...
For Parents:
10 Homework Tips (Parents-Talk.com)
http://www.parents-talk.com/expertsadvice/ea_sl_0004.html
Helping Your Child With Homework (US Dept. of Education)
http://www.parents-talk.com/expertsadvice/ea_sl_0004.html
For Kids:
Homework Central (BigChalk.com)
http://www.bigchalk.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/WOPortal.woa/db/hwchelp/whatis.html
BJ Pinchbeck's Homework Helper (discoveryschool.com)
http://school.discovery.com/homeworkhelp/bjpinchbeck/
Homework @ MSN
http://encarta.msn.com/homework/
Homework/Study Tips (about.com)
http://homeworktips.about.com/mbody.htm
Until our son brings home the "A" & "B"
grades that he is capable of again, we have compromised with him.
His computer and TV time have been cut back. His homework time
has been rescheduled to make sure he has plenty of time to put
the proper effort into it. And I will check over his assignments
thoroughly every night, just as I do with my 2nd grader.
Each family is different, and parents have to find what techniques
will work best with their own children. As children get older
and their work gets harder, we also have to expect that not every
grade is going to be perfect. But we need to accept that those
occasional "D" & "E" grades are all part
of the learning process. Our son isn't proud of those grades,
he didn't intend to get them, and I know he'll be trying hard
to make sure it doesn't happen in the future. And we'll be right
there cheering him on, and helping him when he stumbles.
----------------------------------------------------
Valerie Zilinsky of Michigan is a mother of four...... two children,
the family dog, and her biggest kid of all - her husband. She
is also the proud co-owner of both
http://www.RaisingOurKids.com and http://www.Mom2MomList.com
