When School Projects Become Parents' Projects
b"Whether it\\u2019s the science fair, the pinewood derby, or a pre-K shoebox diorama, sooner or later every kid gets assigned a school project that is, without question, a PARENTS' project. What four-year-old can fashion her own \\u201cDress As Your Patron Saint\\u201d costume? What sixth-grader can attempt proper MLA citation format without extreme maternal participation?\\xa0 \\nIt\\u2019s not so much the projects we mind- it\\u2019s the feeling that however we handle it, we\\u2019re doing it wrong. If we make the origami cranes for the kid, we\\u2019re snowplow parents. If we send them in with a social studies project they made entirely themselves out of paper plates and crayons, we also own their cheek-burning shame when their projects pale in comparison to the professionally-produced ones of their peers.\\xa0 \\nIn this episode we discuss how to discern the right amount of help such projects require: not too much, and not too little. Sure, we can help our kids win the battle of the pinewood derby\\u2026 but we really want to win the war of having our kids who can someday accomplish things all by themselves.\\n\\xa0\\nHere\\u2019s links to research and other writing we discuss in this episode:\\xa0 \\n\\n\\nSusan Messina for Huffington Post: That Fake Science Fair Poster That Went Viral? I Made It. Here's Why\\nDana Goldstein for The Atlantic: Don't Help Your Kids With Their Homework\\nThe Broken Compass: Parental Involvement With Children\\u2019s Education\\xa0\\nDr. Keith Robinson and Dr. Angel Harris for the New York Times: Parental Involvement Is Overrated\\nWendy Wisner for Scary Mommy: It\\u2019s Obvious When Parents Complete Their Kid\\u2019s School Projects, So Please Stop\\neasybib.com (Amy recommends for an easier way to create bibliographies) \\nsciencebuddies.org (Amy recommends as a resource to choose science fair projects)\\xa0\\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices"