School-Ager Hiding Homework

[Ms.Jessica]

Right now I have a fairly wide range of ages. A 11mo old and 2 yr old and two school age kiddos that I pick up from school daily. (Plus my 2 boys)
I have known and cared for the SA for years and mom and I were friends before care began.
Mom recently told me that homework has been hard to get done in the evenings and asked if I could have her kids work on it before pickup. Kinder kid only has 10 min of reading but the 4th grader has quite a bit and she fights doing it, tries to get out of it ect.
So this morning I was cleaning the entryway and found 3 homework assignments stuffed behind some family shoes under the front bench/coat hooks (where the kids hang backpacks.)
I am sure they are from friday. Dcg insisted she had no homework and brought me her backpack for proof when I asked.
I am looking for feedback on how to best handle/discipline for the lying and sneakyness.
I have been having them come in and have snack and do homework right away so they can play when my kids bus arrives an hour later.
This DCG is usually well behaved and has never been in any real trouble here but I cannot let the lying go.
I was thinking that she needs to sit at the table and finish all of the hidden work plus whatever she gets Monday plus have a stern talk about the lying.
Wwyd?

[Thriftylady]

Well I do offer my SA kiddos homework help and time to do it. But, I wouldn't do it because parents can't get kids to do it. I personally would be telling mom at this point it was becoming an issue and not something I had time to add to my day (due to the problems). If you don't want to do that though, you could consider what I did when I had foster kids. My foster kids were all in middle and HS, but we had a set study time. If you didn't have homework, you either studied or read, but you stayed at the table for that period of time and did one of the three.

[Unregistered]

I think it's sad. I don't believe in homework! I wouldn't make her do it, but everyone has different beliefs. I wouldn't do anything about the hiring or lying. I feel like she did what she did because otherwise she would have wasted her time doing the whole weeknds's worth of assignment in one sitting which totally would've ****ed! I think she should learn academics in the right hours she spent at school and not have to take up extra time outside of it. But since she isn't my child, and it I did have the situation you have, where I expected her to bring it to me and do it, I would simply tell the parents you could her homework that she left at your house on Friday. Then her parents can ask her why it isn't done, etc. And they can do what they see fit for guidance.

[Ms.Jessica]

See, I don't really belive in homework either. I feel like what kids need most after school is to get outside and play and move their bodies.
I think maybe I am too close to the situation so my mom instincts are taking over more than my DCP ones are.
I did bring it up to mom and her solution was to send her to after care at school for a week so she can "see how good she has it" with me.

[Unregistered]

Wow- I had a ton of typos there sorry, that was on my phone. Anyway, I guess my main thought, if it was unclear was, I would tell the parents I found her homework from Friday. Interesting that the mom says she could go to asp as a threat. I wonder what's so terrible about the asp. Are you okay if she leaves- financially?

[Play Care]

I would show mom the work and tell her where you found it, and encourage her to have her child stay after school with the teacher if possible so the teacher can assist with the work.
"DCM, it seems homework is becoming an issue, I suggest that Sally stay after school where she can get help with her work. I can only do so much. Otherwise I will suggest that she get started with work at x time, but that's all I'm able/willing to do."

The issue may not be the amount of work, but that her child is having a difficult time with it.

I will have kids get a start on homework once they've had some downtime. Even with the standard "10 minutes per grade" rule, it can add up (that's 40 minutes for a 4th grader!!) That said, I am not dragging kids to the table for it, I'm not going to question them or insist they show me if they say they don't have it (though I will let the parents know at pick up that I was told they didn't have any) nor am I able to offer tutoring/homework help.

[spedmommy4]

I don't believe in homework either. Unfortunately, despite the current research pointing to its lack of benefits, schools are still sending home mountains of it.

For every behavior, there is a reason. If you have a good rapport with this dck, ask them what's up. The action you should take is going to depend on the reason this child is hiding their homework.

If it's too hard, you might offer help. But if the problem is she feels like she is missing out on the fun stuff at your house, the solution might be to move homework time. I have a few Kindergarteners and they complete homework after outside time; I endure way less complaints that way.

No matter the issue, I have it in my written policies that homework is the responsibility of the parents. I will help but parents are responsible for ensuring their child completes it.

[childcaremom]

I don't have school agers at the moment but would not be offering to help with homework during childcare hours. I don't even let my own children do their homework right after school. Snack and then play. I think kids need a break, honestly, so would encourage a lot of downtime after school. Parents can help with homework after dinner. Just my two cents.

[sharlan]

Whether or not we believe in homework or not isn't the issue. Lying is.

Notify the parents. Let them handle it.

I tell all parents, my daughters included, that I ASSIST with homework but it is NOT my responsibility. I provide a designated area and all supplies (pencils, erasers, markers, scissors, glue, etc).

I had this issue a few years ago. I told the child, father, and grandparents that I personally didn't care if the child did his homework or not but I wouldn't tolerate the lying. After the 3rd incident I didn't allow the child to do homework here. I also didn't allow him to use my supplies for his school projects. Adults were not happy, too bad.

[Play Care]

Whether or not we believe in homework or not isn't the issue. Lying is.

Notify the parents. Let them handle it.

I tell all parents, my daughters included, that I ASSIST with homework but it is NOT my responsibility. I provide a designated area and all supplies (pencils, erasers, markers, scissors, glue, etc).

I had this issue a few years ago. I told the child, father, and grandparents that I personally didn't care if the child did his homework or not but I wouldn't tolerate the lying. After the 3rd incident I didn't allow the child to do homework here. I also didn't allow him to use my supplies for his school projects. Adults were not happy, too bad.

Yup. happyface

[Meeko]

I don't allow my SA kids to do their homework here anymore. A few years back I did. But when one of them got a bad report card...guess who got blamed? Yep...MY fault.

I was simply asking the kids if they had any work to do. If they said yes, they could sit at the table. if they said no....off to play. But one set of parents swore that it was 100% MY responsibility to make sure homework was done and done right.

All homework at my house ended that day!

[Thriftylady]

I don't allow my SA kids to do their homework here anymore. A few years back I did. But when one of them got a bad report card...guess who got blamed? Yep...MY fault.

I was simply asking the kids if they had any work to do. If they said yes, they could sit at the table. if they said no....off to play. But one set of parents swore that it was 100% MY responsibility to make sure homework was done and done right.

All homework at my house ended that day!

Wow. Hope that never happens here. I do tell parents I offer "homework assistance", and that it may not always get done here. I would have been livid.