Homework - Corrections for mistakes

It's 9.00pm which is past the children's bedtime. We are in the final lap of our homework run. (As you know if you have been reading my earlier post The Mad Homework Dash) sometimes homework extends after dinner despite working on it all day with hardly a stop in between.

The girl (who had returned from school at 4pm, had to eat her tea in the car and have a quick bath before starting  her homework dash) says...

"Mummy, what shall I do? I have these 4 mistakes in Maths. The answers were correct but I didn't write the working down. The other day teacher asked me to see her and when I did she said "Why didn't you...." then she stopped and sighed "Haih. Later!" and waved me away. She said "you better do your correction!" I don't know what I'm supposed to do. I'm not sure whether I'm supposed to do the corrections 10 times for each sum or 20 times. I'm not sure how teacher wants the workings or formula done. If I do it wrongly, then she'll ask me to erase them and do them all over again. If I go and ask her how she wants it done, she'll scold me for not knowing. If I don't do it, she'll scold me for not doing it. If I do it wrongly, she'll scold me. I'm scared! How?! I can't ask my friends. I'm so tired of asking my friends. None of them seem to know what to do all the time."

"Ok, I think, I'll write each sum down 10 times in this manner (which I'm not sure whether is correct) and then I won't give it to her unless she asks me because I'm scared that its wrong and she'll get mad and if she asks me at least I have done something ....."


Then she proceeded to write down the sums, 10 times for each sum. 4 sums = 40 sums while the clocked ticked on past her bedtime.....