The Mad Homework Dash

It would seem that all my kids do during the weekdays is eat, sleep and do homework. No, it's probably more like do homework, eat while doing homework and get whatever sleep they can get after the homework is done.

As soon as they get home from school, they make a mad dash to eat lunch. Sadly, conversation is not encouraged during lunch as it takes away the precious time required to complete the day's homework. Then they make a mad dash to have a bath. Sadly, singing in the bathroom and having fun playing with soap bubbles is not encouraged either as it takes away the precious time required to complete the day's homework. Blah blah blah.

Then the homework starts. If you are in the 'smart' class which isn't very smart at all since it means more homework, the kids will be burdened with extra pages of homework from additional workbooks. The std 4 girl has to copy essays to improve on and master her Chinese Character writing. Once, I gave her 25 minutes to copy an essay as I saw she still had a lot of other work to complete. She took 2 hours! I was so exasperated, I said this won't do. You are taking too long, you will need to work faster!

So, I took the essay and copied it myself. I took an hour! The girl took 2 because she wanted to understand what she was copying and not copy blindly. That's a good practice but I say, sorry, you don't have time for that. Just copy!

Then she has to copy out maths questions from her workbook. She is not allowed to write on the workbook since it is the free workbook from school which will be passed on to another child next year. So she meticulously copies each question and tries to do the hard sums in hard pressed moments with mum shouting to her to hurry up! Each sum must be copied and written in the perfect manner too. If told to leave a line between sums and have a line drawn in between and this is not done, she fears she has to erase and redo everything. So she rubs and writes, rubs and writes to make everything perfect. Doubling the time required.

Next, she has to copy out some Chinese questions and tackles those. Mum, I don't know how to do this one, can you help? she asks. I look at the question. It says, look at the given lines of phrases, A, B, C, and D. For each one, there are 3 phrases given. Find out which line does not contain a wrong 2 worded phrase. That's easy. B is the answer. No, its not so simple mum, the other lines have mistakes in them. We have to find out what are the mistakes and write down the correct phrase for those. Oh....... That's very detailed and time consuming....

Its tea time now, sorry kids, you'll have to eat as you do your work. There isn't time! And so the mad dash continues.... Another 4 pages of English homework.... Write 2 pages of Chinese Characters... 2 pages of Bahasa Malaysia... What?! You still have to do 5 pages of Chinese&BM&Science&English work from that Magazine? Hurry up then!

2 more homework... Mum, I have to study for Ejaan and Ting Seah tomorrow and I haven't finished my art. Faster! It's dinner time! and you haven't packed your bags. It's dinner time. Stop! Stop this moment. Go and wash your hands and eat. Leave everything as it is, we'll have to continue after dinner. Eat as fast as you can. No talking.

After dinner. Hurry up its so late now, its almost bedtime. You need sleep. Come on. Pack your bag quickly. Forget about that homework. It's not important! Just answer that. But mum! I can't copy..... Just answer it! You'll have to do what you can. You need sleep! The dash heats up now. Work that has not been completed gets done in a hurry, all learning efforts are thrown out the window and mum and children dashes to complete the homework. Homework is now done for the sake of completing them or else.....the kids face the wrath of the teachers the next day and get twice the homework! If you carry anything forward, it will just accumulate and snowball.

We make a final dash, then dash to the bathroom to brush teeth, wash up and change and its lights off! No time for a book or chat. It's straight from the study table to bed. No time for a warm drink, no time to relax and wind down. It's so sad. It's mad. I'm mad!