When I was growing up homework always had to be finished at night regardless of what we had going on after school. No questions. There was no scrambling in the morning to get homework done. It just didn’t happen. That’s why it’s so weird to me when friends of mine with school-aged kids allow this to happen. I’m not sure if it bothers them or if it’s the norm for them. All I know is that listening to them talking about it stresses me out like crazy and I’m not quite sure how they deal.
Mornings are for getting your act together: eating a nice breakfast, packing lunches and actually waking up. They’re for enjoying coffee, not doing homework. Wtf? I know my kid’s little so there’s a chance I’ll be singing a different tune once he’s in school but I sincerely doubt it.
Think about school as being a career for your kids because it is. And they work hard all day. They may have a big test looming, teachers and kids they’re worried about dealing with - stressors similar to those that we face in our jobs. Now imagine if you had a project due for your boss but didn’t start it until 30 minutes before you had to walk into your meeting...while you’re shoving a bagel down your throat as someone’s brushing your hair. Exactly. So why do that to your kids?
Check the bag for homework as soon as they’re home for the day and make sure they finish everything they need for the next. The poor little ones don’t need to start their days in a frenzied mode just because you didn’t do some damage control the night before. And maybe the two of you can sit over breakfast and have a conversation about the day ahead instead of yelling at each other about who’s at fault here for this homework debacle. Now that seems like a better way to start the day for everyone, no?
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