Summer Homework: What Do You Think?

Moms Talk is a weekly feature on all Lehigh Valley Patches in which local parents, caregivers and other members of the community are invited to share opinions and advice on parenting topics.

This week’s Moms Talk question comes to you from me and my eight-year-old son and relates to summer schoolwork.

It’s quite possible that my kids are going to nominate me for the “Worst Mother of the Year Award.” It’s not because I am forcing them to eat their greens. They do that willingly. They even ate Kale the other night. It’s not because they don’t get to watch TV. The Olympics has been on around the clock here. And, it’s not because they aren’t allowed to eat sweets. We made a batch of cupcakes in ice cream cones last week.

The reason I am a likely contender for this dubious honor? Math flash cards. And, math worksheets. And, timed addition facts practice tests. It’s really not as awful as it sounds. It amounts to about an hour a day. Tops. But my son makes it sound like he is being strapped to a school desk and being grilled under a bright light. It all started the other day when I realized that he had never learned, or more likely forgotten, the basic math facts that he should have under his belt as a soon-to-be third grader. I decided that we should review and reinforce those basics before he gets on the bus at the end of the month. He says summer is for fun, not for school. 

So, now we’d like you to help settle this family squabble::

How do you feel about giving kids schoolwork to do during the final weeks of summer to prep them for the return to the classroom?

Our Moms Council members include: 

• Lisa Amey of Upper Milford Township is a stay-at-home mom to an 8-year-old boy and a 5-year-old girl. A past president of the MOMS Club of Emmaus and longtime member of MOPs (Mothers of Preschoolers), Lisa is an Independent Consultant for Arbonne International. 
• Lisa Drew of Emmaus is a certified nutritionist and personal trainer, wellness and fitness coach with more than 17 years of experience. She is the mother of a 13-year-old girl and a 9-year-old boy.
• Jennifer Elston of Emmaus has almost two decades of professional experience in child development and counseling. She is currently a stay-at-home mom to two beautiful girls. Together with her husband, Chris, she owns Christopher Elston Photography.
• Jeanne Lombardo of Nazareth is the mother of a 10-year-old boy and a 5-year-old girl. She’s new to the Lehigh Valley, having moved to Nazareth from Bergen County, NJ in January.
• Lisa Merk of Lower Macungie is a stay-at-home mother of four boys – a 12-year-old and 6-year-old triplets. Lisa is a past president of the MOMS Club of Lower Macungie East. In her “spare” time, Lisa teaches piano to school-age children.
• Zoila Bonilla Paul of Bethlehem is a stay-at-home mom to two girls – a 5-year-old and a 14-month-old. Zoila is a member of her local “moms’ club” and says she is “well-versed in the fun that children can bring.”
• Beth Sharpless of Emmaus works part time in a local emergency department as a nurse and part time from home as a customer support specialist. She has two children -- a boy who is almost 2 and a 5-year-old girl. She says they love spending time outdoors and dancing.

If you would like to become a part of the Moms Council and/or have ideas for future Moms Talk questions, please email jennifer.marangos@patch.com.