Kumon ruining our holiday

Any destructive puppies around? ( My dog ate my homework) !!!!

We had to witness this with an 11 year old step gd while on holiday. She had to do two hours work daily with a teacher on "Skype" working through 11 plus questions. She got tired and my heart went out to her. No way for her to spend her holiday, and it was very expensive too.

`it's crazy imo. Let children be children. School holidays are essential for them to wind down and play. Same for teachers in truth though as we know, many of them will be coughing up to pay for their classrooms to be prepared for the new school term. (yes I'll be off to Ikea with one of my teacher children)

Just a thought.

Did Alan Sugar excel in maths or did he employ an accountant?
Ditto Richard Branson
Mick Jagger went to the London School of Economics and made his money writing songs.

I feel so sorry for children forced into learning something they hate.

Never heard of Kumon but it does not sound like a good way to engage a child in maths. You are in a difficult position though given you and DIL do not get on that well and you do not paint her in a favourable light at all. Calling her daughter lazy and stupid is completely out of line.

I would make it quite clear to your granddaughter that it is not you who is insisting on this to start with and resist the urge to do it yourself. That sort of information could get back to DIL and then you could find access curtailed. Ultimately she is her daughter but if she resists then I think you just say at the end of the holiday that you tried your best but she really was not engaging with it and refused to do it on many days. Try to make a game of it maybe and see how many of these pointless arithmetic problems she can do in 20 minutes. I am not sure why it cannot be broken into chunks. An hour of maths every day when she is supposed to be on holiday is a lot.

Sorry but feel you shouldn't have agreed to undertake this prior to arranging the holiday. If the child was happy to do it then all well and good but as she's not I would text your daughter and explain that due to the upset you are not going to continue as forcing children is very detrimental to learning. HTH xxx

Why slander a Company?

Your holiday is "being ruined" by decisions made by you and your family.

My dgd together with the rest of her class has been given work papers over the summer break. My dil worked out that to complete then will take 15 hours each week. Fortunately my dgd is willing to do some each day and they come with her when we do childcare. They will NOT be going with her when the family go on their summer holiday and dil says if they are not all completed..... too bad.

However my dgd is aged 10 and is preparing for the school transfer examination. She is not only 7 like OPs dgd.

When it comes time for dgs who is 3 years younger that will be a different story.

Seems a lot for a 7 year old and her mum's attitude does not bode well.

As your 'in charge' it should be your choice as to what the children do and how they do it. Next time make it very clear .

Does your DiL not respect the fact that you were a maths teacher?
Surely if you saw this as a way to engage a child you'd embrace it enthusiastically!
I'm sure you'd be able to come up with personalised fun activities to encourage your GD that you both could enjoy.
Most families would be delighted to have their own pet maths tutor!

Grampie Kumon maths is a commercial enterprise playing on parents worries. I have seen the advertising they send out to parents! It is a graded programme to encourage quick recall of the 4 rules through pages of dull exercises. Children do need to do these if they are struggling..they need specific & targeted support with whatever they are struggling to understand with an adult who knows what to do! It seems that granniepauline could be that person and spend a more worthwhile hour with her DGD finding out what she find tricky rather than battling with Kumon stupid worksheets.

Sorry it should say "do NOT need to do these"!

I can see trouble ahead for these poor hothoused girls. I am glad you try to keep the peace, as I believe at some point, when they rebel or it all gets too much, that they will really need you.