62 min listen
When School Projects Become Parents' Projects
FromWhat Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny Moms
When School Projects Become Parents' Projects
FromWhat Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny Moms
ratings:
Length:
51 minutes
Released:
Mar 20, 2019
Format:
Podcast episode
Description
Whether it’s the science fair, the pinewood derby, or a pre-K shoebox diorama, sooner or later every kid gets assigned a school project that is, without question, a PARENTS' project. What four-year-old can fashion her own “Dress As Your Patron Saint” costume? What sixth-grader can attempt proper MLA citation format without extreme maternal participation? It’s not so much the projects we mind- it’s the feeling that however we handle it, we’re doing it wrong. If we make the origami cranes for the kid, we’re snowplow parents. If we send them in with a social studies project they made entirely themselves out of paper plates and crayons, we also own their cheek-burning shame when their projects pale in comparison to the professionally-produced ones of their peers. In this episode we discuss how to discern the right amount of help such projects require: not too much, and not too little. Sure, we can help our kids win the battle of the pinewood derby… but we really want to win the war of having our kids who can someday accomplish things all by themselves. Here’s links to research and other writing we discuss in this episode: Susan Messina for Huffington Post: That Fake Science Fair Poster That Went Viral? I Made It. Here's WhyDana Goldstein for The Atlantic: Don't Help Your Kids With Their HomeworkThe Broken Compass: Parental Involvement With Children’s Education Dr. Keith Robinson and Dr. Angel Harris for the New York Times: Parental Involvement Is OverratedWendy Wisner for Scary Mommy: It’s Obvious When Parents Complete Their Kid’s School Projects, So Please Stopeasybib.com (Amy recommends for an easier way to create bibliographies) sciencebuddies.org (Amy recommends as a resource to choose science fair projects) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Released:
Mar 20, 2019
Format:
Podcast episode
Titles in the series (100)
Did We Really Do That?: We’ve all done things as parents that, looking back, we can’t believe. Breastfeeding twins. Writing thank you notes in the baby’s voice. Here’s some of our (and our listeners’) supermom accomplishments— and more than a few super-foolish notions. by What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny Moms