Homework is not my job.

I really do get irritated when I hear about parents being too concerned over their kids' schoolwork, ting seah, spelling, ejaan and test results. To me, children should learn their responsibilities as students , to themselves and to their parents.

Homework? Is it more important to check if they had finished off all their homework and correctly as well, than to have them be alert in class and listen to what they need to do when they are back home and finish off that task BY THEMSELVES.

To me, homework is to teach them that it is their job. Their work. Not mommy's work or tutor's job to make sure they are up to it. Doing their homework by themselves teach about responsibilities.

Well, some parents think that it's very frustrating to get calls from teachers who complains their kids not finishing their homework. And perhaps very embarrassing? And that's the reason those parents prefer not to let them learn to take responsibility? Really? Which is of more concern, really?

The kids would just continue to rely on parents or tutors to ensure they do their work, and would hardly learn to do it themselves, I do believe.

So what if teachers come and complain? As a parent, that's when I punish really really hard if I hear or learn from their teachers that homework is not done. Still not doing it? Use other tactics. Hit where it hurts most. Reward them when they do well. And they WILL learn. Eventually. And that's the whole point of homework.

Do you check the homework after they claimed they finished it off? Noooooo... DON'T!

Let them do their own corrections if it's wrong. Let them know they have double work if they finish off their homework half-heartedly. Punish them even harder if they lied or forgot there was another page to do. Had to make them learn whole. Not halfway. Have to keep repeating the same exercise if they lax again. Hard work pays off, I assure you. And the sweetness WILL follow after the bitter is done with.

How about ting-seah, ejaan, spelling and other short tests in class? Need to prepare them to make sure they get 100 marks not? Is that really so necessary? Will they get smarter if their marks are all fullhouse? Will they lead a good life and make a good living because of that?

To me, it's also responsibility. You don't do your own study, you don't get good marks la. You want to feel proud of yourself, then just do your own revision la.

I have meimei's English teacher asking me, during the parent-teacher's meeting at half year, to make sure she learns her spellings every week. Tell you, till now, I didn't bother. OK, so in her recent test, she couldn't score in that question to write out the 4 shapes drawn out there, so? She scored in other parts. Oh yes, it was a pity, but does not being able to spell rectangle, triangle, square and circle would make her find a job lesser than what a teacher gets paid?

It does not impress me that your child can write A to Z when he's 3, that your child has 100% in ALL ting-seah at 4, or that your child is the top student in the whole grade either for every year. It does not impress me when they can't even do their own homework by themselves, do any research on projects given, study at their own will without any prompting or tuitions and having absolutely no idea what to do when the parents are not around to tell them what to do.

And worse still, they do not know how to laugh and enjoy themselves. Pathetic. Such childhood robbed!

The other day, I have a meimei's classmate's mother ranting to me how poorly her child performed in the 2nd test compared to the first. Aiyoh!! She is sooooo worried that her BM Penulisan had dropped to 70+! (And I was thinking, oh dear, meimei got 69 only wor, why I wasn't that bothered huh? Something wrong with me ah?)

Come on la, primary 1 only nia. Need to drill them to know everything not? So early jiao so pressure, waffor? Heiz... I have nothing to say liao.

Having said all that, this is not to say I'm not taking their studies seriously. Yes, they should strive to get good marks. Help them if and when they have problems. Like, if they are struggling with a subject or do not understand what the word or phrase of topic means, assist them. But assistance shouldn't be forming a highway without any obstacles for them to clear while providing a magic carpet to reach the endpoint. It's the journey, not the destination (which is really quite a cliche, I admit)

I'm so going to piss off many parents from this essay of mine!