kindergarten homework

I am too depressed at what a failure I obviously am as a parent to talk about anything real that is going on in my life so instead I am going to write about how ridiculous I think the schools are.

She spends all day in school.  I drop her off at 8:45am and she goes off to her after school program at 3:45pm.  All day.   Homework started in October.  It was only about 5-10 minutes worth of homework each day so I tried not to complain.  I mean she is there all day... could they not find 5-10 minutes to do this last little thing with them?  But I did it with her.  I worked all day.  I picked her up.  I tried to catch up what had happened for her that day.  I cleaned up the kitchen (lunch and snack stuff).  I cooked dinner.  We ate dinner.  I did homework with her.  And then it was basically time for bedtime routines.  I would have loved that 10 minutes for something other than drilling my child.  Especially late in the day when she is tried and cranky and just done with the learning ideas.

But then homework started to increase.  Now they want more out of her.  And that means they want more out of me.  I get the importance of school.  I believe in education.  I want her to learn.  But this is also kindergarten.  Shouldn't she be learning how to color in the lines still?

So homework came home on Thursday night.  First we had a blow out (which luckily lasted less than an hour) so we had even less time for all the evening requirements.  By the time we sat down for homework she was in a good mood and I was spent.  On top of her normal homework (which has increased since October - including writing 3 sentences about a picture, writing a page in a journal about the stuffed frog that gets passed around the class, and practicing for a spelling test on Friday), she had to read an 8 page book and answer 4 questions about it.  A part of me was proud that she has moved up to level 3-4 in reading.  A part of me was pissed that my 6 year is expected to write this much for homework.

We read the book.  And we worked on answering the questions.  Keep in mind that her teacher is allowing homework to be done phonetically -- which is good.

The book was On The Go -- which is all about different modes of transportation.

1.  Who are the characters?  The pepl.

2.What is the setting?  When did the story happen?  Oat sid arond the world.

3. What are 3 or more things that happened? They rod.  They flu.  They swing.

4.  What does this story make you think about?  Wan we wint to grindmas.

Done.  Happy.  I help her.  I sit with her.  I encourage her.  I do not do her homework for her.  Not that my spelling would have been much better.  She turned it in.  The teacher sent it back home yesterday with a note on it.  Good job.  Please tell more details.

She is insane if she thinks I am going to do this homework with her again.  More details?  The damn book is only 8 pages long.  With one sentence on each page.  How much more detail does she want?  Either way she is going to be disappointed because I am not making Ladybug provide more detail.  I am not even telling Ladybug she wants more detail.

Mean Mama