Overwhelmed
September 16, 2008 at 3:53 pm | Posted in Homework, Second Grade | 5 CommentsI’m not the only person in the family who’s been working harder lately. Clare, who last year in first grade became accustomed to homework she could knock off in two minutes, is a bit, um, let’s call it overwhelmed with second grade homework.
It isn’t that she can’t do the work. Setting her mind to it, she can do everything correctly by herself. She doesn’t even need me to read instructions to her anymore. But she still wants me to help. She likes me to be on the ready so she can question everything she’s done. She also complains endlessly about the amount of homework she’s getting this year. But it really isn’t that much more.
It’s probably a matter of confidence. Maybe Clare just needs to be reassured every day that she’s smart and can handle second grade. I suppose it’s also possible that her second grade teacher isn’t as nurturing and reassuring as her Kindergarten and first grade teachers were. Every kid needs a few tough teachers along the way though―and come to think of it my first tough teacher was in second grade too. (Maybe sometime I’ll tell you how my Dad got me in trouble with her once and I had to polish church pews instead of getting recess.)
I hope the homework problem will improve. There has to be a point where she accepts it or gets more confident in her ability to handle it, right? Last week, Clare complained about her homework for so long that it took four hours to do it. And it was only four pages of second grade spelling. I think we’re slowly improving though. Yesterday’s homework breakdown only lasted about twenty minutes.
Have anyone else’s kids had a sudden problem with handling homework? Is it just because of the start of a new school year? Or might it be all downhill from here until I let her drop out in third grade?
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Good luck with that Darren. Sorry, I can’t give any sage advice on this one.
Comment by James — September 16, 2008 #
I think it is just a new routine to get into at the beginning of the year. It’s just a good way to gradually give them more challenge. I hear the same complaints.
My son needs to start homework as soon as he gets home and finish it. Otherwise, he will let it go until too late.
Our girl can do a little here, a little there and then make up some more homework to do. But I guess when half of your homework is coloring, you would want to find some more too.
Good luck in school, Clare.
Comment by DadStuff — September 16, 2008 #
Drew has recently discovered that if he doesn’t bring his books home, we can’t do his homework. Sure, I still make him write out all the spelling words he can remember, or quiz him on the solar system myself, but it’s not the same. Unfortunately, even though his homework grades will suffer, he’s still making A’s on all his exams and classwork, which only reinforces to him the idea that he doesn’t really NEED to do the homework.
If he doesn’t bring his spelling and reading books home tonight, I’ve promised he’ll not be allowed to attend the picnic he’s been invited to this weekend nor will I give him snack money for the rest of the week.
When he does bring his books home, he’s generally not too difficult about doing the actual work, as long as I let him have a little snack first. Home, snack, 15 minutes or so of mindless tv, and then we knock it out in a half an hour or so.
Good luck!
Comment by Alissa — September 17, 2008 #
The Champ is getting spelling words for homework. Luckily, we can work on those while in the car on the way to soccer practice.
Comment by above average joe — September 17, 2008 #
Overwhelmed doesn’t even begin to describe our after-school life. Last year the “witching hour” was 3 to 6 and usually got better after that. This year it has expanded to 3 to 9 and sometimes later. Mostly this is due to softball and field hockey but also the homework for grades 5, 7, and 9 is just tremendous. I’ll trade you second grade spelling words for ninth grade literature and math!
Comment by spincerelyyours — September 18, 2008 #