Is Homework Help Mandatory for Providers???

[AllDeezBabies]

Hello guys,


I haven't posted in a good minute. I have finally got my daycare off the ground and boy do I have a lot of questions/frustrations/vents/complaints.....


Anywho. I have a few school aged daycare children. One particular family is a set of twins 7 years old. When they come in the drill is to put coats away, snack and homework. What I have been noticing about these two in particular is that they don't complete the rest of their homework when they get home.


Their teacher attaches the assignments for the week in one folder so I check everything. I decided to say something to the mom when I saw the consistency of homework not being completed. This was on yesterday and Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday wasn't completed. They can only get so much done here before their parent picks them up.

Here is the conversation:

Me: I checked *** and *** folder and they haven't been completing their homework.

Mom: Why not? Don't they do their homework here?

Me: Of course they do but they can only do so much before they have to leave and after that, it should be completed at home. My point is they aren't going home to finish it.

Mom: I'm not understanding why it's not completed. They do their homework at daycare everyday. There is no reason to have incomplete homework if you help them. That's a problem.

Me: The problem lies with them not completing the remainder of their work when they get home. Again, there's only so much they can do here.

Mom: Oh...well...I will have a talk with them.


For this reason, I do not want to assist with homework. Was I wrong with how I approached the situation? Should I assist with homework? Is it mandatory?

Any feedback on how I handled the situation is appreciated and needed as well. Thanks in advance.

[littlemissmuffet]

It's not mandatory here - and I sure hope it isn't anywhere else. This is another example of parents trying to sluff their responsibilities onto us. This mother needs to get her prioroties straight and realize that it's HER job to help with HOMEwork AT HOME... it's not daycarework!

I would never in a million years even THINK of helping with homework if I ran a multi-age daycare with infants, toddlers and S/A. I am considering moving to all S/A in the next year or so, and in this case I am going to offer homework help/a homework period from after school until 4:30pm and the rest of the day/until pick-up will be outdoor/free play.

This is my choice, and I don't think that any provider should feel obligated to offer this. As a matter of fact, I'm just going to give it a test-run and if it doesn't work out then I will cut it out of my program.

[AnneCordelia]

I don't do homework help. After school my dcks play in the backyard after snack until pickup if the weather is permitting. It is enough, imo, that I only have an hour after school to feed them snack and get organized for pickups. I help my own four children with homework after dinner, and encourage my dcfs to do the same.

[countrymom]

You need to stop helping "them" do their homework. Mom is already blaming you for them not finishing their homework. The onus has to be on mom. Stop helping the twins and let mom deal with it. (If no one else is complaining and you have time, then help the others)

[SunshineMama]

Homework is 100% the job of the parents. Unless they also want to pay you for tutoring services, or unless you agreed in your initial meeting that helping them do their homework is a part of your contract, then I would flat out tell the mom that you set aside homework time for them, and that she will need to be in charge of making sure it is complete.

Incredible that she wants to pawn that off on you....

[sharlan]

I assist with homework. It's not my responsibility to see to it that it is done. I will only assist with questions, if a child refuses to do it, then I don't help.

I find homework to be the parent's responsibility and let them know that up front.

[AllDeezBabies]

I was so angry I had tears in my eyes and had to go to another room to compose myself.

littlemissmuffet-I was just saying this to my husband that homework is to be done at home and not daycare work. ::

Ms. Cordelia-I'm juggling helping homework with my children and daycare children. I'm doing to much when I don't need to.

countrymom-This is what I'm going to do from now on. I wasn't absolutely sure if it was something I had to do along with my license. I remember my licensing representative telling me about not doing a curriculum for my daycare kids because I wasn't a teacher, I just wasn't sure about homework help.

Sunshine Mama- I remember when I was a working mom and I had a fantastic provider that would assist my school aged children with their homework. When I checked their work, it was all correct and whatever wasn't completed I made sure they had it completed. She cared for all of my children. That is why I did homework help. But I see now that I will have to take that courtesy away. We never discussed homework help and I never told them that I provided it. My previous experience with my provider was the ONLY reason why I considered it. And this is the thanks I get. I felt like crap after that confrontation.

sharlan- I'm to the point that now I don't wanna do homework help at all. I think I'll do what AnneCordelia does and just to free play until pickup.

[Willow]

I don't even look in backpacks, much less help with homework.

That is entirely a parents responsibility and none of my business.



I'd tell her straight out that you're sorry she held that expectation but it's not your place to be reading notes from teachers, helping with homework or keeping track of how a child is doing away from your care while in school. If it helps boost your confidence during the conversation, let her know you consulted/networked with quite a few other providers and none of them do such a thing either. All believe it's a parents business and a parents business only to keep track of their child's academic successes and struggles

[Meeko]

I currently only have 2 kindies, but used to have SA kids up to age 12.

I made it very clear that they could sit at the table and do their homework, but that I was not responsible in any way, shape or form if they did all of it, any of it or whether it was done correctly. Parent responsibility 100%.

[familyschoolcare]

I run a school aged only program and this is what my policy is ...


I provide time, space, resoanable equipment and resaonable help for children to compleate their homework. Actully finishing their homework is up to them.

I go over this at interviews and tell parents that after everyone is done with snack and I clean up from snack I will tell the children that it is now time to

do homework, I will not fight with your child to do thier homework wither they do or they don't. Now with that said I will ask each older child that is not

getting homework out if they have homwwork and will go and check myself if need be. When I child tells me they do not whant to do their homework I say

oh I am sorry that you do not whant to do your homework right now the thing is now is homework time, I think Mom and/or Dad whants you to do

your homwwork. So far that has been all the encourgment I need to give. I will "help" not answer, as questions come up. Example from yesterday

DCG "Mrs ******* what is 6X6." Me "you need to use the muliplication table the teacher gave you." DCG "Can't you just tell me" Me "No, it is not my

homework it is your homework."


I sujest that you look at how much homework they have and everyday when thay are picked up meantion how much homework is still left to do for that day. Example DCG still has 1/2 page of math to compleate she has been working hard at her homework since we finished snack.

[daycarediva]

I do ASSIST with homework. Our routine is, come in, shoes & backpack put away, books and homework out and at the table. They read for 15 minutes while eating snack. Then they pull out homework. I currently have two K's, 2nd grader, 3rd grader. I quizz spelling words and do math facts and sight words. I am already doing it with my own kids. It gives the littles a time to see the big kids doing school work too, and they often will sit at the table and 'read' and/or color worksheets, etc. It's a pretty good 45-60 minutes of down time too, in all honesty.

WHY wont they do it at home? Parents dont enforce it, simply from lack of time or caring or both... idk. I DO care about these kids and want them to be successful. Because I made it a game, and if they complete their homework and get 5 stamps on their calendar they get a prize box prize.

It wasn't in my contract and it certainly isnt expected. Some parents appreciate it, some don't but I don't do it for them.

[mom2many]

I pick up my S/A kids at 3 pm and after having a snack, they start their homework. If they need help, I will assist them. The parents p/u at 6 pm, so they have ample time to complete it, have me check it over and have play time with their friends.

Because some of them have evening activities such as dance, gymnastics, football, baseball, etc. the parents always appreciate having the h/w out of the way! I know when my own kids were involved in these activities, it was essential for them to get their h/w done after school and it was too late when they'd get home in the evening from practice.

[Springdaze]

she should still be checking it. boy would i love to have someone else do homework with my kids, but I would still check it to see what they are learning and if they finished it. If she doesnt check their folders, how does she know if there are things she needs to sign? I have to sign my 4th graders homework book every night!

[sharlan]

I currently only have 2 kindies, but used to have SA kids up to age 12.

I made it very clear that they could sit at the table and do their homework, but that I was not responsible in any way, shape or form if they did all of it, any of it or whether it was done correctly. Parent responsibility 100%.

This is my attitude. I don't ask, I don't go into a child's backpack for any reason. If the child asks for help, I will give it. But, beyond giving the supplies (craft table) and a quiet place to do it, I don't get involved.

[sharlan]

I do ASSIST with homework. Our routine is, come in, shoes & backpack put away, books and homework out and at the table. They read for 15 minutes while eating snack. Then they pull out homework. I currently have two K's, 2nd grader, 3rd grader. I quizz spelling words and do math facts and sight words. I am already doing it with my own kids. It gives the littles a time to see the big kids doing school work too, and they often will sit at the table and 'read' and/or color worksheets, etc. It's a pretty good 45-60 minutes of down time too, in all honesty.

WHY wont they do it at home? Parents dont enforce it, simply from lack of time or caring or both... idk. I DO care about these kids and want them to be successful. Because I made it a game, and if they complete their homework and get 5 stamps on their calendar they get a prize box prize.

It wasn't in my contract and it certainly isnt expected. Some parents appreciate it, some don't but I don't do it for them.

I used to do that, but the parents nor the kids appreciated it. We used to go over spelling words during breakfast or walks to school.