The Hassle of Homework

It's a safe bet that my parents never really knew what classes I was taking.  They posted the good report cards on the fridge, alongside the prize-worthy school art projects and grocery lists, but I don't recall them ever meeting with a teacher or questioning a grade.  For me, or most of my other 8 siblings.  There was always Tim, but he's saved for another blog!

So my question:  Why are today's parents-- namely, me -- expected, or rather, REQUIRED to bird-dog homework and school assignments that rightfully belong to our kids??!

I've been through this twice already-- and now the third child has a book report due Friday. I've stopped counting how many times I've told her to read her Princess Diana biography, yet I keep prodding her, hoping she'll get inspired enough by some juicy tidbit about bulimia or Balmoral to finish the damn book.  I find myself hating the sound of my voice, nagging her to get her work done.  I think, stupidly, that she'll do her homework, just to shut me up.  But she has other ideas, and other distractions, and thus my problem: 

How do we inspire kids to be self-motivated without doing the motivating?

Maybe this is the time I should let chips fall, and allow her to suffer the consequences of a half-hearted attempt.  Nothing like a crummy grade to shake up a "pleaser" student.   She is only in third grade, and testing into the AG program (translation: set you up as a "smart kid" for the rest of your academic career)...so one crappy book report grade won't keep her from getting a Morehead scholarship. 

 

But would it jump-start the "self" part of self-discipline?   Can a kid this young really "backtime" how long it takes to do a project, without parental help?  And how much is too much input?  Do I micromanage her after-school time, or let her figure out her own time management?  

These are the "mom-ager" questions that I've yet to figure out, even after being in this game for nearly 2 decades.  We want our kids to strive for greatness, to actually be great-- and to do the work it takes to be great.  If we do it for them, they're not so great.  And neither are we.

Maybe my folks had the right idea all along...oblivion is the new "quality time"!