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Oh Yah!

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  • #1

    Oh Yah!

    Aidan (2nd grade) tested into our school's 3rd grade math program. Go Aidan, right? Wrong. I got a nice note home tonight telling me that because of this, Aidan will need a "math buddy" at home every night ... someone that I have to designate NOW ... and I have to sign a paper telling who it will be and that person will need to sign every night to prove that they helped him .... You know ... on top of signing reading minutes daily and the planner daily....and driving, cooking, doing laundry, giving baths, helping 16,15, and 12 year olds with junior high and high school homework....oh, and taking little girls to get casts, and teen-agers to pediatricians.

    Today, I actually didn't go to the bathroom ALL day. I didn't have time. By the time I got to Alex's soccer game at 4:30, I nearly had urine coming from my eyes. I had to find a construction toilet and man ... if I hadn't ... it would have been pee my pants time. I came home, was looking over the million papers Aidan had, and ... burned dinner while trying to go over things with him. Now I had to throw pizza in ... It's bathtime ... then bedtime for Zoe and Aidan ... and I promised Andrew to help him with some organizational stuff and Bio and Alex with Algebra. Amanda needs to get her butt in gear on a paper.

    No wonder I'm having car accidents.

    Aidan's new teacher just learned what a crazy mom I am. I sent her an email regretting to inform her that I can't sign anything or promise math buddies each night .... I'm only one person, and there are only 24 hours in a day.

    If DH was just home in a timely manner, it would be so much easier. It's 7:30, he's still not home, and .... I can't do it all alone.

    Break over.

    Kris

    Kris
    ~Mom of 5, married to an ID doc
    ~A Rolling Stone Gathers No Moss
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Good call on the teacher email. Really, if he can do the work, why does he need a buddy or a parent helicoptering over him?

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    • #3
      Originally posted by diggitydot View Post
      Good call on the teacher email. Really, if he can do the work, why does he need a buddy or a parent helicoptering over him?
      It's a new policy. It came in a "Family Letter".

      Shit. I just BURNED the PIZZA! Damned internet.
      ~Mom of 5, married to an ID doc
      ~A Rolling Stone Gathers No Moss

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      • #4
        Yeah, fuck that. If a kid can do the work and is responsible enough to keep on it, they don't need my ass hovering over them while they do it.

        That said, this is the first year I haven't had to ride little dude's ass while he was doing homework. Thank you, Strattera...

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        • #5
          I would have offered his siblings (collectively) as his math buddies, explaining that there is no one person who can do it every day.

          That's just nuts! For that, you may as well just homeschool him and do it all yourself anyway.
          Veronica
          Mother of two ballerinas and one wild boy

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          • #6
            Kris just have him go to on level math if it's that much. Who the hell cares in 2nd grade. The kids I know who were fast tracked at 2nd had to go to middle school for math in 5thgrade. 5th graders taking math with 6th and 7th and sometimes 8th graders in a middle school is just asking for problems

            Screw that. No math buddy and if it's so hard that they need a math buddy then it's too much.
            Peggy

            Aloha from paradise! And the other side of training!

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            • #7
              I think so too, Peggy. The bummer is that the kids get roped in. The teachers get on them and they dont want to disappoint. Whenever my mom visits she freaks out all over again about the paperss, signing and how ee as moms are treated lije kids ... and she is not a rebel.
              ~Mom of 5, married to an ID doc
              ~A Rolling Stone Gathers No Moss

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              • #8
                I agree, it puts the kids in a tough spot, but that's just too much. I think you did the right thing. If he starts having trouble and needing a math buddy, then he's not ready for the material. And in spite of wanting to challenge the more advanced students, I think Peggy is right that it's ultimately in his best interest to keep him in the same class as his age.
                Laurie
                My team: DH (anesthesiologist), DS (9), DD (8)

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                • #9
                  I've watched this process-- my kids are in 5th grade and ds was tagged for super math track in 2nd grade but I do not want him going to the middle school (it would be this year) and so I said I didn't want him going there. I held him back lol. The kids I know (the classmates) really hate it. They feel different (not special) and lose a lot of time going to the middle
                  school to take math there. It's just not great. And the End game is that they can take calc in 10th grade. Like anyone needs to take AP calc in 10 th grade.

                  To be clear-- these kids aren't geniuses. Just pushed hard and capable.
                  Peggy

                  Aloha from paradise! And the other side of training!

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                  • #10
                    I had a similar experience with Caroline and it was awful. I'm with Peggy, let him use his extra time for his music!!!!!!!
                    Luanne
                    wife, mother, nurse practitioner

                    "You have not converted a man because you have silenced him." (John, Viscount Morely, On Compromise, 1874)

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                    • #11
                      and it dovetails nicely to the reports for "no child left behind." It's all about the numbers of accelerated learners...

                      J.

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                      • #12
                        I'm so over the schools over stepping into every aspect of our lives and then claiming "they know best". I'm sorry Kris, I would have likely signed it and then told my child that they would be their own math buddy then let the school call me on it.
                        Tara
                        Married 20 years to MD/PhD in year 3 of MFM fellowship. SAHM to five wonderful children (#6 due in August), a sweet GSD named Bella, a black lab named Toby, and 1 guinea pig.

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                        • #13
                          Originally posted by DCJenn View Post
                          and it dovetails nicely to the reports for "no child left behind." It's all about the numbers of accelerated learners...

                          J.
                          Being in the same district with 4 different children for 13 years it has been very interesting to watch what children the schools are interested in. If you are an extended learner they really push your child and do a great job. If you have major learning difficulties you get an aide, extra tutoring, etc. Both of these things are great but the problem comes if fall outside of either of these groups. Then you are screwed as a student. You are not pushed, if you are just below or above grade level that is where you stay. And if you miss out on being in the extended learner group no matter how much the school claims they will move children between groups the fact is that it can never happen because those learners are given the best teachers and move ahead so fast that without an outside tutor it would be impossible for even an above average kid to catch them. In the end it doesn't really matter because things do start evening out a bit in high school. The real benefit for the extended learners is that they are told on a daily basis that they are good learners and can accomplish anything. The others are simply ignored. It's hard to fault the teachers for this because this system comes from above, the district expects things to be run this way. Ugh!
                          Tara
                          Married 20 years to MD/PhD in year 3 of MFM fellowship. SAHM to five wonderful children (#6 due in August), a sweet GSD named Bella, a black lab named Toby, and 1 guinea pig.

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                          • #14
                            Can you hire Andrew to tutor him? Set up a real space for them. Andrew has a real passion to share, do you think he would have the patience if you set up a time and place for them? It might take some of the burden off of you to keep aidan challenged.
                            -Ladybug

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