So it's been going all day. Wavering between being miffed ( angry ) at my child for not doing his school work and angry at the school for giving him so much work.

All his work he brings home is not generated from him not doing his work in class. When he started the school year , syllabus's were sent out stating that he would definitely have HOMEWORK. Which means work that he will be required to do at home. To me this seems a bit unfair. Child labor laws says you can only work a child for so long, but in the course of school studies apparently longer and more is better. When do these kids get the time to be kids. The teachers in our school system ( I"m saying ours , as in mine in particular ) also sends home homework that is to be done over fall, spring, winter breaks and holidays. Gauranteed my child does not always tell me of this as he does not want to do it and I find out later when he has "missing assignments" turn up.

My son in particular has to get up at 6:15 every morning. Eat breakfast, dress, gather his stuff and be ready for the bus which arrives at aprox 6:40 . Then he spends the day at school. He gets home at 4 pm and then starts his school work which can take 1 to 2 hours to complete. I help as much as I can , but I'm a firm believer that he must do the work himself otherwise he will not learn. IF it takes two hours for him to complete his work then he finishes about 6 pm. That leaves him putting in an 11 hour day for "school". He then has 3 hours to relax, eat supper and be a child before he has to take a bath and go to bed so he can start his next day.

If he was working as a Adult, he would be paid overtime. Most jobs do not require that you bring work home without compensating the worker. Workers are given 2 days a week off and paid holidays and vacations. My child has had 7 + years at his "job" ( starting at Kindergarten and to the present day ) . He is not allowed to quit his "job" and enter another field of work that might be more appealing to him. Schooling is required by our government and to be able to succeed in this world.

His father believes he should have "chores" to do in part of his remaining 3 hours a day that he is not doing his homework. That way he is learning to do actual work around the house and to use his brain in the everyday world of just being alive. I'm not so sure. I see all the time he gives up just to go to school and I don't know if I should require more out of his day that he is already given. I do feel he needs to know how to do every day things required in life that is only learned by doing them and common sense, but who are we to take every waking moment of his young life and require that he does something "productive" all the time. When is he allowed to be a child ?

I wonder how many other parents have paid attention to how much time goes into schooling. If they have sat down and figured up how much time is required of their child. I know that schooling is important and I know that some homework is required. But I'm also wondering how much is enough and when does it become to much.