Parents, please come in......
By tybtgdh
@tybtgdh (36)
China
November 14, 2007 8:15pm CST
I have a daughter, she stuides in a primary school. Usually the normal schedule is: She gets up at 6 o'clock in the morning, Read Chinese or English for half an hour, get ready and leave for school at 6:50; eat breakfast at school at 7:20; the whole day study until 5:20; have dinner at school at 5:30. I pick her up at 6:00, she will be home around 6:30, and then she needs to do her homework until 9:15. On weekends, she still have two classes (music and art lessson, each last one and half hour). No time to play, Is that too much for a child? She is only 9 years old. She is a very busy person in my family.
As a mother, I really want to know, do your kids have plenty of homework to do? afterschool, what do they usually do? on weekends, do they participate in some extra lessons? What do you care about most for kid's growth?
1 person likes this
3 responses
@tybtgdh (36)
• China
15 Nov 07
personally I think that is too much for her, but it seems she can cope with it, not very well but ok. As a mother, I want her to play a lot, do more outside activities instead of staying at home and doing endless homework. The problem is she has no choice to decide what she can do, she has to complete the assignment in regulated time. so my question is what about other kids in other countries, do they have a lot of homework to do? or this just happens in my country.
@hazydazy (783)
• United States
15 Nov 07
My son is 8 he gets up at 6:30 AM, has breakfast, and gets on the bus around 7:45 AM. He is gets to school at 8 AM. During the day he has reading, math, science, spelling, vocabulary, social studies, and grammar. Depending on what day it is he will have either art, music, gym, or health class. School is out at 3:15 and he is home by 3:30. I let him play till 5. Then we have dinner and he studies for no more than an hour. On Tuesdays we have Cub Scouts and Wed and Thursday he is in an after school program. To me this is enough for him to be involved in right now. He needs time to just be a kid. It does seem like your country is a lot harder on the kids. I can understand wanting them to succeed, but if you push them too hard they will rebel and then all of the time and energy was for nothing.
@tybtgdh (36)
• China
15 Nov 07
It seems your son is enjoying his happy childhood. I really hope my daughter can have this kind of life also. It is parents' responsiblity to provide good environment for children to grow. However, we have no idea how to change current situation. she has to adapt herself to this circumstances. I feel sorry for her.
Thank you very much for your valuable information.
@youless (112481)
• Guangzhou, China
25 Jan 08
What a busy schedule for such a little child! I think it's too much for her. I remember when I was a pupil, our teacher said for a primary school pupils, the suitable homework time for them was within one hour. I do think children need to have some spare time to do whatever they like. It is likely to have a pressure and near-sighted eyesight for children if they are so busy.
@tybtgdh (36)
• China
31 Jan 08
Thank you so much for your comment. I also realized that is too much for my daughter, but what can I do? I can't change current situation. I have to help her to adapt this circumstances. come to think of it, they are all lovely kids, living in this small world, but their childhood is such a difference, that make me feel sorrowful....
@4monsters4me (2569)
• United States
16 Nov 07
That is a long day. I know I couldn't have handled that as a kid. I don't think I could handle it as an adult.
My kids are up at 6:40am. They have breakfast then get dressed and we are out the door at 7:35. I walk them to school which starts at 7:50. They have lunch around 11am. Not sure what they do the rest of the day--just regular classes. My son is only in Kindergarten so they play a lot. My daughter is in 2nd grade. Then I pick them up at 2:20. My son only has homework on Wednesdays. My daughter has homework Monday-Thursday but it is usually just one 2-sided worksheet each day, some reading and vocab words. It takes her about an hour (because she plays around while she is doing it). Dinner is at 5pm and they are in bed by 8pm.
I don't think my oldest would survive the schedule you described. She would be a monster. If she isn't in bed by 8pm she gives me the hardest time getting up and won't get out of bed before 7am and then takes forever to eat.
I think if they are in school until 6pm they shouldn't have homework. There is no reason a 9yo should be up until after 9pm doing homework. It doesn't seem healthy to me. Does she have down time in school? Like where they just play or run around or is just work, work, work?
@tybtgdh (36)
• China
19 Nov 07
Thank you very much for your comments. yes, luckly she has down time in school, she has a nap from 12:00 to 1:00, that helps her to relax a little bit. we all feel that is too much for a 9-year-old child, but it is impossible to change current situation (I guess most Asian countries push children too hard for their education). so I have to help my daughter to adjust herself, and believes, no pains, no gains.
