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Judge if you will, but the homework is done
Desperate times call for desperate measures. And last night was one of those times.
In the "not enough hours in the day" category, I arrived home around 10:30 p.m.(after working all day, running my daughter to cheer practice and attending a parent meeting there, going to my music ministry practice at church until 10 p.m. and narrowly escaping having to return to work to help the copy desk edit primary-related stories) to discover all the lights on in the house.
I walked in to find my husband and daughter asleep in the family room (TV and lights on) and my son upstairs playing a solo football game. "Um, what are you doing? Why aren't you in bed?"
"Well, Daddy ..."
Turns out, while most homework was done, without his father nagging him to finish a project that had been sent home to be completed ASAP, it has been abandoned and traded for a plastic purple football.
This was the only night he did not have Pop Warner football practice this week, and hence the only night he could really dig in and finish his "All About Me" poster for class. Glancing at the clock (LATE!), I made an executive decision. "Well, you're obviously wide awake. Put the ball away and get out that poster." With my husband out cold, I could get away with pushing bedtime in favor of getting the homework done, something he disagrees with. (Sorry, honey.)
So my son set up shop at the bar in the kitchen, and I talked him through the project while I emptied the dishwasher and cleaned up the kitchen. We both colored the poster once all the text was filled in. I watched him get very particular about every aspect, and he was clearly pleased when we stood back admiring the finished product.
It was nearly midnight when he crawled into bed (can't believe I'm admiting this bad mommy moment to the world). I told him I'd wake him at 8, and he'd only have 30 minutes to get ready. Eight hours isn't too bad, I thought.
I know getting enough sleep is important, but that poster is done, he's proud of it and no one has to stress about it anymore. Judge away ...
In the "not enough hours in the day" category, I arrived home around 10:30 p.m.(after working all day, running my daughter to cheer practice and attending a parent meeting there, going to my music ministry practice at church until 10 p.m. and narrowly escaping having to return to work to help the copy desk edit primary-related stories) to discover all the lights on in the house.
I walked in to find my husband and daughter asleep in the family room (TV and lights on) and my son upstairs playing a solo football game. "Um, what are you doing? Why aren't you in bed?"
"Well, Daddy ..."
Turns out, while most homework was done, without his father nagging him to finish a project that had been sent home to be completed ASAP, it has been abandoned and traded for a plastic purple football.
This was the only night he did not have Pop Warner football practice this week, and hence the only night he could really dig in and finish his "All About Me" poster for class. Glancing at the clock (LATE!), I made an executive decision. "Well, you're obviously wide awake. Put the ball away and get out that poster." With my husband out cold, I could get away with pushing bedtime in favor of getting the homework done, something he disagrees with. (Sorry, honey.)
So my son set up shop at the bar in the kitchen, and I talked him through the project while I emptied the dishwasher and cleaned up the kitchen. We both colored the poster once all the text was filled in. I watched him get very particular about every aspect, and he was clearly pleased when we stood back admiring the finished product.
It was nearly midnight when he crawled into bed (can't believe I'm admiting this bad mommy moment to the world). I told him I'd wake him at 8, and he'd only have 30 minutes to get ready. Eight hours isn't too bad, I thought.
I know getting enough sleep is important, but that poster is done, he's proud of it and no one has to stress about it anymore. Judge away ...
posted by Media Mom Betsy at
10:31 AM
3 Comments:
Rock on. Any time kids take pride in the work they've done and had a little positive mom/kid time to boot is a good night in my book. AM
I completely agree with Ann Marie. You're a good mom, Betsy. Just ask your son.
You did the right thing. You're teaching him the importance of getting his work done. Nothing wrong with that. He would've felt terrible in school if all the other kids had completed it and he hadn't.
I do think the amount of homework kids have today is a bit out-of-whack and that family time should be more valued by schools. Oh well!
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