To Give Worksheets or Not To Give Worksheets...

I swore I would never give my children worksheets. It didn't fit my philosophy of education or my understanding of child development. I believed learning occured during hands-on fun and exploration. In my opinion worksheets were busy work that didn't have anything to do with real learning.

Then Sam asked for worksheets. I put him off. He asked again, and again, and again. He began to beg for worksheets. I still put him off. One day we were at the local office supply store. We were looking at paints and markers when Sam found a workbook. He was thrilled! "Please, Mom!! Please get me this homework!" I finally relented--mostly to keep my sanity intact.

I figured his interest in worksheets would wane, but it didn't. Sam would sit happily working. Many times he would do 15-20 pages before I made him stop. Then he wept because I didn't let him "have fun" doing "homework." Go figure!

Sam has infected Grace with his love of worksheets. This very week I decided to order pizza for lunch as a treat. Now, my kids love it when we order pizza. As a matter of fact, they grab the pizza guy around the legs in a huge hug as they jump up and down shouting, "Pizza, pizza, pizza!" or "We love you, pizza guy!" (I have to say I find this pretty entertaining when it's a new pizza guy.) But this week they didn't greet the pizza guy at the door. They were busy doing their worksheets. The pizza guy slumped away disappointedly. I called Richard for lunch. He came in to find the kids refusing pizza until they had finished all of their "homework." "Do you think we should get them help?" he asked. I shrugged weakly and only half-laughed.

I suppose they won't be irreparably harmed as long as they have well-rounded experiences in addition to worksheets. There are worse things than doing worksheets (like the stomach flu).