The Writing Mamas Daily Blog
Each day on the Writing Mamas Daily Blog, a different member will write about mothering.If you're a mom then you've said these words, you've made these observations and you've lived these situations - 24/7.
And for that, you are a goddess.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Mostly -- It's All Good
On the appointed first day, I awoke to her staring at me, her tiny nose an inch from my larger one, and her saying, "Mommy, I feel energetic!"
She was true to her words.
Mimi danced on the bed, around the mattress, across scattered pillows, and High School Musical-ed over the comforter.
She received lots of swag for her birthday.
Perhaps the sweetest gift came from our neighbors, Tina and Bryan. They don't have children, yet never fail to bring something for Mimi and her brother on every holiday. They do so quietly, usually leaving Valentine's Day candy, or Christmas cookies in colorful bags on the doorknob.
Yet, for this special day, they came in their biking garb, and handed Mimi a beautiful stuffed animal. It was a giraffe and Tina, an artist, hand drew a card with the same animal on it and in cursive wrote its history.
Mimi promptly named it Giraffeeeee. She hugged Tina and gave her a kiss. Then she enveloped Bryan.
"You're the best neighbors in the whole wide world!" she said. "Thank you -- thank you -- thank you!!!" The second sentence came after I reminded her, "What do you say?"
The two left to go on their bicycle ride and we went inside to get dressed so we could spend Mimi's special day together.
I stared at my neighbors' house before climbing into the car. 'They are so dear,' I thought. Just genuinely nice, considerate people.
We absolutely lucked out in the neighbors' department. With friends, too. And with family.
More than ten years ago I drove across the country by myself with my two cats, determined to meet the right man, fall in love, have a family, buy a house, make money, write, do a variety of things.
All of that has come to pass.
Some not so good things have happened, as well.
Life is like that.
On balance, I'm way ahead.
Though I do complain. (I can't help it. I'm Jewish. I'm from New York. It is in my blood. It is also one of my hobbies.)
Still, I am grateful for what I do have.
I'm hopeful that the rest of my life will hold more positives than negatives, however I can accept whatever might happen.
Perhaps because I have come such a long way already.
By Dawn Yun
Labels: birthdays, By Dawn Yun, complaining
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Friday, May 18, 2007
Homework
Homework
I hate homework. Hate it. Hate it. Hate it. Nick, my fourth grader, spends about 90 minutes a night struggling with homework. I think 90 minutes a night at 10-years old is ridiculous. For some of his classmates, the time is 45 minutes to an hour, but Nick is too fried after school to work very efficiently.
Nick’s teacher is fabulous (other than his extreme sports approach to homework) who plans fascinating class activities and terrific field trips. But Nick’s memory (and mine) of fourth grade will be how homework came to dominate our lives.
Nick has nightly homework, a weekly project and a monthly independent reading report (the dreaded IRP). My son is one of the easiest-going people I know, but planning for three distinct activities stresses Nick. We’ve had several bouts of tears this year. And he’s told me that every time he leaves the house, he feels like he’s forgetting something. Again, at 10 years old, I find this ridiculous.
I’ve talked to the teacher. Even if he is unwilling to change his requirements, I want him to know the impact of homework. The latest advice I received from the teacher was to teach Nick some stress management techniques. My son is a 10-year old child. Why should he need stress management techniques to deal with school? Ridiculous.
I don’t get a lot of support for my dislike of homework. Most moms I talk to think the homework is a good thing, that our kids will be better prepared for the rigors (tortures) of middle school. My husband tells me to stop the complaining, that it’s just the way it is. All kids have more homework these days.
There are plenty of studies showing homework does nothing at this age. But an hour or more of homework a night has become so usual that many adults accept it without question. I’ve decided to speak out against gratuitous heavy volumes at every opportunity. I want my happy learner back. I want to take walks after dinner. I want to play board games. I want to play catch. The time has come to take back the night.
By Marianne Lonsdale Stumble This Post
I hate homework. Hate it. Hate it. Hate it. Nick, my fourth grader, spends about 90 minutes a night struggling with homework. I think 90 minutes a night at 10-years old is ridiculous. For some of his classmates, the time is 45 minutes to an hour, but Nick is too fried after school to work very efficiently.
Nick’s teacher is fabulous (other than his extreme sports approach to homework) who plans fascinating class activities and terrific field trips. But Nick’s memory (and mine) of fourth grade will be how homework came to dominate our lives.
Nick has nightly homework, a weekly project and a monthly independent reading report (the dreaded IRP). My son is one of the easiest-going people I know, but planning for three distinct activities stresses Nick. We’ve had several bouts of tears this year. And he’s told me that every time he leaves the house, he feels like he’s forgetting something. Again, at 10 years old, I find this ridiculous.
I’ve talked to the teacher. Even if he is unwilling to change his requirements, I want him to know the impact of homework. The latest advice I received from the teacher was to teach Nick some stress management techniques. My son is a 10-year old child. Why should he need stress management techniques to deal with school? Ridiculous.
I don’t get a lot of support for my dislike of homework. Most moms I talk to think the homework is a good thing, that our kids will be better prepared for the rigors (tortures) of middle school. My husband tells me to stop the complaining, that it’s just the way it is. All kids have more homework these days.
There are plenty of studies showing homework does nothing at this age. But an hour or more of homework a night has become so usual that many adults accept it without question. I’ve decided to speak out against gratuitous heavy volumes at every opportunity. I want my happy learner back. I want to take walks after dinner. I want to play board games. I want to play catch. The time has come to take back the night.
By Marianne Lonsdale
Labels: complaining, Excessive homwork, stress, too much
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