Student-parents at CSUN,
Being a parent of two children in grade school is another obstacle that’s difficult to conquer. It’s bad enough that I have my own homework to do, but I also have to make sure that my kids accomplish that same goal. It seems as if nowadays the homework in grade school has gotten more complex. The requirements have risen to a point where my kids are spending two to three hours a night on homework.
Last semester it got to the point where I didn’t know what I was going to do. Sometimes if I didn’t have the time to help, and my husband was at work, they would do it on their own, but they weren’t learning to their full potential without guidance. There was no way I could hire a tutor, their way to expensive, especially on a student’s budget. That was when I decided to go to their teachers for support. For some reason I never did this before. I had the impression that they were too busy and that I would just be a bother. But fortunately when I did ask they were more than willing to help.
The information that their teachers provided me on a weekly basis, such as subjects they were falling behind in, tips that would help me guide them into better study habits and ways to shorten their homework time, all helped to lift some of the pressure off of my daily routine. Having a relationship with your child’s teacher will help in their school experience as well as yours.
Not only is there homework, but there’s also sports. Whether it’s basketball, soccer, football or baseball, they each take time out of the day and require special attention from parents. This is where carpooling works wonders. Whenever my kids get on a new team, I make it a goal to organize a carpool with the other parents for practices. This seems to be a good idea for everyone. We just find out who lives next to one another and then we swap practices. This works out great and provides extra study time which is always beneficial.
Check back next week when I will discuss the importance of making quality time for yourself.
