There is much debate about the merits and volume of homework imposed on our kids. But there's one big component that has been notably absent from the discussion: Mommy Homework.
For the uninitiated, Mommy Homework is the bane of many mothers' lives. While perhaps intended to be an opportunity for bonding between parent and student, it instead frequently devolves into a parent Googling "How do you paper maché?" at midnight. It is dioramas in first grade, ancestor dolls dressed in authentic cultural costumes in second grade and re-construction of Colonial Williamsburg in fifth grade.
Mommy Homework (and yes, of course it can also be Daddy Homework) has been known to tie up entire weekends, leave its victims covered in baking soda (volcanic eruptions for science) -- and befuddled as to why a balloon can light a lightbulb.
As a guide for teachers who may need to understand why I would rather not spend my evenings building a scale-model of the solar system from foam balls and plastic straws, I offer these guidelines to what constitutes Mommy Homework.
What Is Mommy Homework?
There are, of course, more serious issues involving homework, and we applaud the efforts to control the volume and meaningfulness of the school work that comes home with our kids.
These issues were given voice by the Race to Nowhere film, which spotlighted the pressure that kids are under to achieve. There is now a petition drive on Change.org to seek national PTA support for "healthy homework" guidelines.