Parents doing children's projects for them

[jknyc]

Originally Posted by LL2

Now see, I put GS cookies in a different category. I remember having huge bouts of anxiety as a child when expected to do it and just shutting down. The assumption that all kids are wired to be mini salespeople is, I think, erroneous and harmful. The only time I might feel differently is with an older kid who is very into scouting and isn't there just because the parent signed up. I can see the life lesson of doing your own science project. I am not so sure about the life lesson of being forced to peddle thin mints.

Hmmm...maybe I was a Fuller Brush salesman in a former life. I loved selling cookies. Talking to people, getting to show off my math skills, wearing my bright green polyester uniform. I loved it.

But the kids who didn't love it, got to help run a booth outside the train station, and you could sit silently and count the money or pass boxes, if that's what you could handle. I don't recall anyone being forced to sell them.

But I digress......

[LL2]

Originally Posted by jknyc

But the kids who didn't love it, got to help run a booth outside the train station, and you could sit silently and count the money or pass boxes, if that's what you could handle. I don't recall anyone being forced to sell them.

That's a fantastic solution. That way everyone is putting in effort, and they are getting to use their strengths.

As far as being forced, well, forced is a rather strong word, but I do remember a lot of subtly nasty comments directed at me and, I learned later, at my mom.

[maryellen]

So far, DS' teachers have assigned "family projects" for anything like this. The family is supposed to do it together, so there is no pretending that the kid did it himself. It's a lot of fun, and I've been able to teach DS a lot about how to build things, what materials to use, etc. He's in 2nd grade now, and after 3 years of family projects I think he could do a great one on his own now.

[seals]

My 9 year old DS has won the Best Looking award in the Pinewood Derby for the past two years. He calls it the "loser award" since the top 3 racers are not eligible. He doesn't get to go on to any other competition, though. He has beaten out cars obviously done by parents with his that are obviously done 99% by himself (DH wouldn't let him breathe the fumes of the top coat).


Sue

Originally Posted by Marion1

You made me think of this year's Pinewood Derby for Cub Scouts. I was the one who had to judge all the cars that didn't place in a race including the very important MOST ORIGINAL which goes on the compete in the county Derby. I had a hard time with this because it was SO OBVIOUS that many of the cars were not built by 7 or 8 year olds! I know the fathers are supposed to help but help does not equal DO it for them.

Unfortunately, unless the jusdges are really savvy about who built something it is very unlikely that a kid can win. It's kind of sad.

[novice5]

For DS's weekly show and tell and journal, he and I did it together.
He's 5 and in kindergarten.
We'd talk about topics to match up to the letter of the week and possible show and tell items, experiments or things we could make.

For example, "V" for "volume." We practiced filling up a plastic tub and marking the original line for the water and the line after large stones were place in it as a demo of volume. And we talked about the other meaning of volume...loudness. And how to draw loudness in sound waves.

Then he drew some pictures in his journal, wrote his name and date. And then we developed a sentence and he wrote. And did the show and tell on his own of course with the tub, water and stones.

Another time we did rodeo for "R". We put some photos on a posterboard togehter and he wrote out labels (copying ones I wrote out - remeber he's 5). We practiced reading the labels. He drew a picture in his journal of a cowboy with a lasso. I gave suggestions and tips on how to size cowboy v. horse and so on.
Then he wore his cowboy hat he got in Cody, Wyoming and talked about the rodeo to his class using the poster.


So, he had an opportunity to: learn some new words and how to use them; how to draw so things look at little more realistic, practice writing longer sentences; and some ideas about school projects and we had a chance to do something together.


Will I have this much involvement when he is 7 or 10? No. But I will always be there to brainstorm, get materials, give suggestions. Eventually he will do those as well as execution himself.
But kids learn by working with adults, from examples and doing it themselves...all three.