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| Fear of forgetting homework |
Which raises the question, did WE? Or did they? Because whose responsibility is taking homework anyway?
Well, I think it might be at least partly mine. Because I've never let them forget their homework before.
You see, I remind them, and I remind them and I nag them and then eventually I just give up and put it in their bag.
And if they do forget it, I take it up to school.
Yes, this is seven shades of wrong. Mollycoddling, helicoptering, over managing. How are they ever going to learn if I do it for them? I know.
Mainly, I think, if I'm completely honest, if they forget their homework, it reflects poorly on me.
So, last Friday at 6:15am I received a text from our band conductor telling us he was ill, and couldn't come to rehearsal. Which started at 7:45. Believe me, texting and emailing 45 families to tell them band isn't on is WAYYY harder than getting everyone out of the house early for band practice.
By the time we'd let everyone know, and done the usual morning routine, it was 9am and I was just grateful to get everyone off my hands. At drop off I met a friend, we decided to walk to get coffee. We met some other school Mums and had a chat. And one of these fine ladies was on her way into school WITH THE FORGOTTEN HOMEWORK.
Suddenly I realised, that unless my kids had experienced a memory and responsibility miracle, both Josh and Sarah's homework never made it to school. It was complete, but it was still at home.
I stayed calm. I didn't rush away and abandon my walk. For a moment I even considered not going up to school at all. But I couldn't do that. Because I'd always been too hands on with their homework. I'd never let them forget.
They'd never had to learn the hard way.
And today wasn't the day to start. I made them wait for a while though. By the time I got to school, Josh already had his name on the homework wall of shame. Sarah on the other hand, told me later, that she knew I'd come and bring it, and I did. It appeared magically on her desk while her class was outside.
She's nearly 10. This isn't good. I can't keep mollycoddling her. But it was a bit of a tricky morning.
So, this week I've warned them both. On Friday I'll tell them they need to pack their homework and I'll leave it at that. And if they forget, I won't be going home to get it. They'll just have to suffer.
I'm going to do it with library day too. Because I'm fierce and ruthless.
