Third grade has gotten insane. It was always the year that’s just too full of stuff. Learning cursive, learning multiplication and division, writing book reports, learning how to research…

But the amount of homework and especially longer term assignments Tim is bringing home is mind-boggling. At this moment he has a 3 paragraph essay due Monday, a project about ancestry (involving interviewing grandparents and making a giant paper doll) due Thursday, a book report due Friday, and some kind of anti-bullying thing due “in January.” Also I’ve just been told that he was supposed to bring in some kind of family recipe project today, something I’ve not seen at all, something he can’t find.

And of course there’s the weekly spelling homework. And the regular daily assignments. I honestly don’t know how families more involved in other activities than us keep track- I barely can.

Oh, almost forgot the supplies I need to send in for a holiday craft project, a book for a class holiday exchange, and items for his class play next Friday.

I’ve never been a big fan of homework. I figure 6.5 hours of school a day is plenty. I hate that most of these assignments are to get the kids ready for standardized testing in the spring, which benefits only the school’s bottom line, not my kid.

It reminds me why I considered homeschooling Andy.

Tim can do the work. But he routinely spends 2 hours a night doing homework. I’m sorry, that’s not right. Not at all. If he’s struggling in some area, of course, reinforce the lessons with homework. But all he’s struggling with is keeping track of it all. This is third grade, he shouldn’t have to plan his time like a college student to make deadlines.