I think you missed my point. I mean, sure, you can talk to a child about things, but it doesn't cross my mind to discuss religious studies with mine because I find those teachings pretty harmful. I just don't want them exposed to that kind of stuff. It’s like how I wouldn't ask them if they wanted to walk along the edge of a skyscraper with their eyes closed. In the same way, parents on the complete opposite end of the spectrum have nothing to say to their kids because they don't even bother asking if they need antibiotics when they're sick.
You can talk to kids about this, provided you don't frame religion as something dangerous or, on the flip side, something absolutely mandatory for a decent life. It’s like how you wouldn't just randomly ask your kid if they want to try some drugs, nor would you bother asking if they feel like taking their antibiotics. Anything in between those extremes is fair game for a conversation.
How would this actually work in a situation like third grade, where the kid is staying with their dad for the weekend? Would he be expected to take them to church too? Honestly, if someone tried to dictate my schedule during the weekends I actually get to spend with my child, I’d probably lose it. 😁
Are you sure about that? And what if she had to rewrite everything five times just because she didn't have any notebooks? Do you really think she wouldn't be able to pack her own bag by now?
Michelle Nelson4 said:I honestly feel it’s only natural to sit a child down and show them how to map things out ahead of time. If you're working on a project with a hard deadline, you need a plan so you don't end up underwater. Most people don't just pick that skill up by osmosis, you know? In fact, I actually learned this lesson the hard way just the other day. I was up until midnight finishing something I was supposed to present tomorrow. It wasn't even a matter of not having the time—I actually had three different blocks carved out during my regular office hours specifically to tackle this—but I completely misjudged how long it would take, and then some urgent matter popped up and threw a wrench in everything. So, here I am, staring at a deadline I almost missed...
That said, if I hadn't been planning ahead at all, I wouldn't have finished it by midnight! It's the same thing with homework or studying in general. I’ve always found the attitude of "I don't care, it's the kid's responsibility" to be such a strange way to parent. My colleagues and I actually talk about this quite often at work—discussing which teaching methods actually stick and which ones are total flops. I apply that same logic to my daughter. I help her figure out how to approach her studies, how to schedule her assignments so she isn't rushing, how to prep for an exam, and how to build a study timetable. We talk about note-taking strategies too, like how reviewing material right after school and jotting down some bullet points can make remembering things so much easier. I don't sit there reading books with her or doing the work for her (though if she asks, we might quiz her to see if she's actually got it), but I certainly don't pretend that her schooling is none of my business or leave her to drown without any guidance...
This 🙏 and I feel like school is such a huge part of a kid's life that I just can't bring myself to completely check out.
It’s just unrealistic to expect most elementary school kids to manage their own schedules or organize their work. It isn't out of line to tell them exactly when they should start reading and when they need to be finished if they want to get all their assignments done by a certain deadline.
urbantinker8 said:I’m not really sure where you're getting that data from, but most kids today don't really have any patience for those specific authors or their works. i mean, what does it matter if you personally loved them back in the day?🤔 maybe something like *The Metamorphosis* might fly because it's short, but honestly, who actually wants to sit through reading about a slow process?🤣
yeah, obviously. assuming my boss isn't bullying me or trying to get me fired, I suppose.🤷 personally, I don't get paid to debate parents about their life philosophies, mental health, or how they handle their bank accounts; I just grit my teeth, waste my time, deal with the stress, and move on. it's not weird, it's just kind of sad, I guess.🤷
Unknown:
No, I think it's 2019, and we should probably be looking at ways to educate people that actually make sense for life in the 21st century—ways that are more effective than what we have now—so that after eight or twelve years, more people actually have the tools to live better lives, whatever that means to them.
There's definitely still room for literature, math, grammar, philosophy, and chemistry, but maybe not in this mindless "cram-memorize-vomit-forget" way that seems to be so popular lately.
it’s just that some things eventually get rote. if someone is just memorizing stuff just to spit it back out and forget it, they're either an idiot or they have a terrible professor. that style of learning hasn't been "in" since the nineties. (do you even live in America? it feels like you're being guided by prejudices from thirty years ago)
There’s a massive difference between saying, "I don't feel like reading because school is boring and I'd rather play Fortnite or grab coffee with friends, but fine, I read the whole thing and it wasn't terrible—I'll probably end up using this book for the rest of my life," versus just staring at the page, barely grasping a few words per line, thinking, "I couldn't care less about this stuff, I'll never see how it relates to my own life because I didn't even understand half of what was written."
Of course it isn't an impossible struggle. It’s just that I don't see much point in making things harder than they need to be. To be honest, the book is dense rather than difficult, and luckily we have a pretty decent teacher who isn't just handing out picture books or short stories to kids who are already struggling with reading—instead, she's actually challenging them with 200 pages of solid text.
So, what's the issue? Honestly, as the mother of a GOOD reader, I think those 200 pages are going to be a real struggle for most kids, especially with all the footnotes and archaic vocabulary. I don't see any reason to throw books like this at kids during their early reading years while they're still just trying to master fluency. We shouldn't be making them view reading as some kind of chore. They'll have plenty of time for the heavy hitters like *The Great Gatsby* or *To Kill a Mockingbird* once they get to high school. 😂
Pinocchio is actually part of the second-grade curriculum, not the transition between second and third. Students get assigned it over winter break. My little girl is one of the top readers in her class, and while those "titles" can be subjective, she’s way ahead of the curve based on her reading speed tests. And honestly? For her, Pinocchio might be a bit much right in the middle of second grade. I don't think she'd enjoy it as much as her other books. It’s nothing to be ashamed of saying, but tackling 200 pages of any text—let alone something like this—is hardly a walk in the park for a seven or eight-year-old. At least during the early years of school, kids shouldn't feel discouraged or bored by their first required reading assignments.
Look, I think it’s best if we give them autumn themes during their second year. I'm fairly certain it'll force them to put in some real effort and actually get them thinking about things.
Yeah, honestly, I would’ve moved half those high school reading list books to an earlier grade. So much of that stuff feels like it was written specifically for that awkward puberty phase; by the time you're 18, that whole sense of being lost in time and space has already passed 😁 *The Catcher in the Rye* or *The Stranger*... to me, all of that is for 15 or 16-year-olds, not adults 😁
That’s really the whole point; I’m not trying to get too deep here 😁 Anyway, regarding *The Catcher in the Rye*, reading it at twelve or thirteen is perfectly fine. Or maybe something like *The Great Gatsby*—it works well as a stepping stone toward more complex literature. It just feels a little strange to me when adults read it and take everything so incredibly seriously.