Last year I was lousy at making kids get their homework done because I was too insanely busy to do more than a token effort. This year is offering me the opportunity to atone for that neglect. The good news is that the heavier load is an indicator that my kids are being challenged academically this year. Kiki is learning how to tone down her perfectionism and how to time manage for an array of assignments both small and large. Link is going to be miserable while he is forced to practice both spelling and writing regularly. Gleek is having her first experience with reports and regular homework. Patch is thrilled to have homework at all, and wishes he had more of it, except on the days when he does not want to do any. All of the above requires my active participation, sometimes simultaneously.
Mondays are going to continue to be hard because of the marathon organizational run from beginning dinner all the way until bedtime. Most evenings will have something of a break between homework and bed. I hope. Or I shall be cranky.
I’m sure there are important insights to be made from all of this, but I’m too tired to give them coherence. Three spelling lists, two spelling assignments, one reading book, one book report, one grammar paper, two maps, two math sheets, and one writing assignment are enough to fry my brain.