Helicopter Parents Can Find Online School Info a Bit Too Tempting
I have to share with you a terrific article on MemphisParent.com: "Cutting The Cord," by Sherri McDonald:
Two weeks into sixth grade, Ally arrived home from school on a
Friday to find her mom energetically clicking away on the computer. A
bulging Hobby Lobby bag sat on the desk, beside a stack of colorful
online printouts.
Pausing, Danelle greeted her daughter and gestured with a flourish:
“We’re nearly all set,” she beamed. “I have everything we need for the
history project Mrs. Crawford posted online today on her assignments
page. I know how much you love ancient Egypt, so I thought that’d be
fun to do. Getting an ‘A’ on this is important; we want to start out
stronger than last year. We’ll get started after you’ve had your snack…”
Yikes! When I read that I just wanted to say, "Mom, step away from the glue gun. Very slowly."
So many schools now use the Web to post assignments and grades, and that's great. But the sites can be used for good or evil. Check out the article for tips on handling the parental anxiety that can lead to finding yourself covered in sugar cubes at 3 a.m., assembling your fourth grader's California missions project. Good stuff here.
Artwork credit: Memphis Parent
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Tags: grades, Memphis Parent, memphisparent.com, school websites, schoolwork, Sherri McDonald
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Great topic. My two oldest kids’ high school has used Edline (www.edline.net) for the past several years for all school related communications including posting assignments and grades. The service gives parents the ability to set up email notifications so they pinged whenever a new grade is posted – imagine, every grade for every assignment in every class. That’s way too much information. No wonder, then, when kids start getting ready to go to college parents have to enroll themselves in seminars or go to counselors to learn how to “let go” of their kids.
This year, the K-8 elementary school my youngest son attends will start using Edline. Let’s hope the staff has a training session for parents that includes some tips like these on how not to overdo it.
Michelle Rafter
Writer & Blogger
Every class and every grade!? Wow. You’re right. Balance is key here.
“Mom, step away from the glue gun. Very slowly.”
I love your writing! You open my eyes and tickle my funny bone all at the same time.
Thanks Kathy!!!
Thanks for the kind words, Ellen! You have been one of our most-involved readers on the blog, and I so appreciate your comments. Thanks!
Kathy, it’s so important to talk about this when kids are in younger grades. Reader Michelle is right about parents of college-age students! This phenomenon only gets worse (I’ve seen it up close and personal…I know someone who edits both her kids college assignments–yikes! and a college professor who got warm bagels flown in from Manhattan every Monday morning from the dad of one of his failing students) Isn’t the goal supposed to be raising our chidlren to become self-sufficient adults? I think the whole phenomenon is based in a kind of selfishness, in which parents need to be needed. I’m not Dr. Phil, but it looks like these folks refuse to let go because they can’t see themselves in any role other than that of parent.
Thanks for giving this topic more air time!
Wow. Editing college kids’ papers? FLYING IN WARM BAGELS FROM NYC??? Are you kidding me? And yet, I’m not surprised. I think you nailed the reason some parents are doing this, too.
I hope you comment here often. You have really good insights to share. I love your website, too!