Recently, I received an email from a very concerned high school teacher. She noticed the tagline of my blog, and asked me, “Do you really do your kids homework?”

No.

I try to encourage my kids to do as much of their homework on their own, as possible. If they get stuck or confused, I readily offer support. When they need help studying for a big test, I will ask them questions from their study guide. If they need to write a paper, I will edit their drafts. I help, I assist and I correct, but I do not do my kids’ homework.

As soon as she realized that I didn’t make a habit of completing my children’s assignments for them, she told me a very funny story.

“I have had the experience of hearing parents brag in public about doing their kid’s homework, right in front of me, even though they know I am a teacher. In fact, I was attending a gathering at a business with about 50 people in attendance and the business owner related to the group how her son had been very upset about a low grade in English so she did his paper for him.  Then, referring to the teacher after the paper was returned, she said that the “b…… gave me a B on the paper!”

Be honest, do you ever do your kid’s homework? How much should parents help their kids with their homework?