This is strictly a homework rant about how first graders should not be doing homework.

Everything, I spend 10 – 15 minutes working with the boys on learning how to read and work on words that they might not know or missed during school today. And by this, I mean that the take turns, get in my lap and they read and I assist with words that they might not know.

Each and every night, minus Wednesday because on Wednesday we also do Math homework too. So the homework rant is this, why? Why are first graders reading at school and then coming home and doing more and reading more? Kids need to play. They need to be outside, running and getting dirty.

Instead, we take turns reading. The boys ask me questions. They relate the books that they are reading to their lives, like why they still have training wheels on their bikes? That lead to how bikes are balanced with training wheels and how  they have an expressed interest in taking the training wheels off.

Then they asked about pizza, because they each read a book tonight about making pizza.  As they read, they asked why certain topics were on some pizzas. Why some didn’t like bacon on their pizza and for that question, I just had no answer for them.

My point is this, as the boys grow older, they are going to be doing more and more homework. But today as I type out my homework rant, I am so grateful that they want to climb in my lap, put their heads on me and read to me.

Bring on homework, until they get into common core math, then I will have to pay a tutor.

Homework in Kindergarten? Seriously? What about having fun? Playing? Learning from playing and doing? Heck, I even remember and yes, I’m dating myself, but I remember a nice nap after lunch.

But homework? Seems a little much for me, but who am I to judge?  But now that we are 4 weeks into school, it seems that we are slowly adjusting, even for the school work each night. And yes, I said that correctly, the boys have homework every night, minus Friday night.

It is sad that my boys are basically doing what I did in 1st grade and being forced to grow up even faster than any of us would like. But what are we to do?

So tonight, I’m making tater tots and chicken nuggets for dinner and letting the boys have a hour to relax. They played outside and played with a friend and after dinner, we’ll do homework and take baths.