<p>oldfor, I don’t know about the OP, but my D works on weekends for a couple of reasons:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>I think that working teaches responsibility in a way that school cannot. You must adhere to a schedule, be on time, put work before pleasure, go when you don’t really feel like it, and deal with the public. Not doing a good job at work is not the same as not completing a homework assignment.</p></li>
<li><p>Everyone in my family and mostly all of my friends’ families worked part-time jobs as teenagers. It is normal here. It is almost unusual for a kid not to work. Putting in a few hours each week is not going to kill them. </p></li>
<li><p>Believe it or not, kids look forward to having a job and their own money. Being a little bit self-sufficient gives them a sense of pride.</p></li>
<li><p>Like many others, I am having a financially difficult time and can no longer afford to shell out money for unnecessary clothes, makeup, movies, food, etc., but D still wants these things and should have some access to socialize with others in her school. And teens should have time to relax and have friends. Hey, if you want something, go out and get it!</p></li>
</ol>
<p>And re: study and conference periods during the school day…not everybody has those .</p>
<p>If work is important - for money or learning opportunity, then other things would have to give. My kids do ballet 15-20 hours a week. They have to be at the studio on time, have their gears packed, hair done. If they miss a rehearsal then it has a big impact on other dancers. They get corrections when they are dancing, and have to be mature about taking those corrections. Demand on a dancer/athletes/performer is probably higher than any job a high school student could have. I think many ECs teach our kids work ethic without actually holding down a job. </p>
<p>My kids are fortunate that they do not need a job. We decided to give them an allowance and forego a paying job. If my kids had to have a job in order to have their own money, then other ECs would have to go.</p>
<p>My older daughter is working at 2 jobs in college now(teaching ballet and working in an office) because she no longer takes 20 hours of ballet. She still doesn’t need to work for money, but now it’s time for her to be more self sufficient and start to build her work experience.</p>
<p>We are brought up to believe that we could have it all, especially for women. We feel guilty when we couldn’t do it all. Some how we are made to feel we are lazy or less capable if we left something on the table. Having two very intelligent and capable girls, what’s important to me is for them to feel they have options.</p>
<p>It’s pretty to think that every student should be able to get ~ 8 hrs of sleep a night by streamlining their studying, time management etc. - but every student is in a UNIQUE situation. Assuming that the student works w/ complete efficiency, ~6 hours of sleep can be justified, if they have a rigorous workload at an intense school - and I don’t think it’s entirely fair to judge these students for committing themselves to their academics. They probably know what its like to burn out better than others - and how to avoid this. </p>
<p>Also, zapakovex contrary to popular belief amongst students - reading sparknotes instead of the book is academic dishonesty - and NOT ok.</p>
<p>I do think kids can handle less sleep than we give them credit for. I know I used to live it up in college and get by on very little. But that doesn’t mean it’s preferred. That’s all I’m saying.</p>
<p>“Also, zapakovex contrary to popular belief amongst students - reading sparknotes instead of the book is academic dishonesty - and NOT ok.”</p>
<p>Not that I care too much about this, nor would I do it (since I’m not planning on taking any English classes) but why is reading spark notes instead of the book academic dishonesty and reading them in addition to not?</p>
<p>Certainly, belonging to any organized group (athletic, musical, academic, government, employment, or w/e) teaches discipline, responsibility and cooperative skills. Personally, I think that every kid should be encouraged to belong to some sort of group. Furthermore, I would trade a little of the gpa for it. As others have noted, not all education receives a letter grade!</p>
<p>I dont mean to be obnoxious by answering a question with a question (its just the best way I know how to explain how I feel about this)</p>
<p>How is reading just sparknotes vs. reading the book in addition to reading sparknotes any different from copying a friend’s math hw vs. checking your math hw alongside a friends after you’ve done it to see that you’ve done it correctly?</p>
<p>Obviously anyone would say that copying a friend’s math hw is wrong, but we’re all ok with using a friend’s work as a resource. How is this any different from reading? I know it’s perceived to be different because math involves physical “work”, but isn’t reading “work” too?</p>
<p>“why is reading spark notes instead of the book academic dishonesty and reading them in addition to not?”</p>
<p>All I can say is “wow, just wow.” Maybe we should just watch the movie and skip the book altogether.</p>
<p>Getting back to the original topic:</p>
<p>Kids are really sleeping 6 hr/night? I had heard this but thought it was an occasional thing and not a nightly thing. I know personally that when I don’t get enough sleep, my productivity, accuracy and efficiency suffers greatly at work, even after just one night of truncated sleep. I don’t remember it being this pronounced when I was young, so maybe its just that I’m old now.</p>
<p>It’s different because by turning in math homework, you are saying you did it yourself because the honor code mandates it. If you copied it, you’re lying. Someone reading spark notes doesn’t claim that they read the book. And someone who watches the movie fails the test (and likely same with the person who just read spark notes, but they likely do better).</p>
<p>My kids get about 8 hours per night (10:00 or 10:30 p - 6:00 or 6:30 a)
My kids need more, probably 9.5 hours.</p>
<p>We’ve had a long-standing rule in our family that the kids cannot do more than two ECs at a time. By EC I mean something with a regularly-scheduled time commitment afterschool. For example, a school team, karate class, job, scouts, confirmation class, etc., all occur after school, so the limit is 2 at a time. They may also do school clubs and music performance because those occur during class time. </p>
<p>I am a firm believer in health before wealth. Fatigue and stress do more harm than good. Some people may thrive on the brink of burn-out, but I won’t let my kids find out if they’re one of them.</p>
<p>My kids usually get/got 8 hours, admittedly neither did sports. Younger son is more stressed for time because he has an extra orchestra class so he has to be at school at 7:15, luckily it takes 10 minutes to drive there, and about 20 minutes to walk. He’s done with EC’s by 4:30 most days. Does a bit of homework, watches a DVD with us most days between 9 and 10. I can’t remember the last time he missed a day of school due to illness. It’s been years.</p>
<p>DS used to get about 5-6 hrs sleep at school nights. Then after school would crash a couple of hours before an activity, or another 3-5 hours without activity. Have dinner and then get to computer from ~10pm-2pm. Weekend he could sleep 10 hours easily, 12-15hours without problems. </p>
<p>Habit continued in college. </p>
<p>Some regular hours now that he is working. But he is working in a university environment, so he still has odd (odd to us) hours.</p>
<p>D needed - and got - ~8.5/night in school. She was told by her friends that she wouldn’t last in college. So far so good but she doesn’t work with ANY distractions around - maybe that helps…</p>
<p>Two of my kids need 8-9 hours and get 7 and make up for it in on the weekends. One needs 7 and wakes before his alarm goes off every morning. I need 8-9 and my husband needs about 6-7 each night so two of the kids and I can be pretty crabby in the mornings during the week, while my H and youngest are irritatingly chipper.</p>
<p>well im not a parent, but i wander in here once in a while so i’ll answer.</p>
<p>i manage to get 7.5 to 8 hours a night, with sports taking up after school time, some nights i don’t get settled in at home until 8 or 9… then i do my homework and go to bed by 10 30, asleep by 11, up at 6 30. i take rigorous (honors/ AP-level) classes but only four a semester with block scheduling, which may help. But focus and no simultaneous facebook/hw, a solid 8 hours is not impossible. ymmv.</p>
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