Weekly Topic: July 2009 Archives

Is homework out of control? Some parents think so and many school districts across the country are thinking about following the "10-minute rule" created by Duke University psychology professor Harris Cooper. The rule says kids should get 10 minutes of homework for every grade level. That's 10 minutes of homework each night for a kindergartener and 50 minutes for a fifth grader.

The rule has been endorsed by the National PTA and the National Education Association. Most fifth graders I know have several hours of homework each night and in some cases, it's so extreme, the parents are doing projects for the kids (shhhhhhhh!) because there's just not enough time in the evenings to get it all done.

Parents seems to be split on the issue with some saying homework provides necessary repetition students need to learn a subject and Mom and Dad should step up to the plate and provide all the support needed. Others believe too much homework steals time from childhood activities kids should be free to pursue.

There's got to be a happy medium in there somewhere. Maybe this 10-minute rule could do the trick.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but back-to-school season is upon us once again. I blinked and summer vacation was nearly over. Now if someone would tell this heat wave that summer's over...

We've got about three weeks until most schools get back in session, so I'm finding school clothes, backpacks, supplies and after-school plans on the brain with increasing frequency.

Last year it was Spiderman, Ironman or Transformers for my youngest and High School Musical, Hannah Montana or anything with butterflies for the oldest. Somehow we've moved on to Tony Hawk, Star Wars, iCarly and anything with animals.

Last year I bought all kinds of school supplies and realized soon after that the kids didn't need them (except for working at home). So we ended up donating most of the stash to the classrooms. I'm guessing that kind of thing will be even more appreciated this year.

There are back-to-school checklists all over the place, but here's yet another that will hopefully help moms and dads at least START the year out organized and ready to roll.

The Big Stuff

Am I forgetting anything? Please let me know if I am! And, if you have tips for parents about shopping, getting kids ready for school, packing lunches or anything else, please share.

Lawmakers are considering modifying the state's infant safe-surrender law, extending the time period for anonymous surrender from three days after birth to 30. The bill was authored by Assemblyman Alberto Torrico, D-Newark, who said he wants to expand the life-saving law.

The bill has passed the Assembly and is being considered by the Senate Appropriations Committee. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has vetoed three past attempts at extending the safe-surrender time frame.

The current law was initiated by Debi Faris of Yucaipa in 2000. As founder and director of Garden of Angels, she has buried 85 Inland infants since 1996. The Yucaipa-based nonprofit group holds services for babies who have died after being abandoned.

In 2000 she urged former state Sen. Jim Brulte, R-Rancho Cucamonga, to author the current safe surrender law. Since it's inception in 2001, 279 California babies have been safely surrendered - 44 from Riverside and San Bernardino counties.

"When this law was created it was created only to be used as an emergency law," Faris said.

She worries that 30 days may be too long to leave babies with parents who may not care for them properly. She pointed out that there are other options such as foster care and adoption and that the current law also has a two-week cooling off period in which parents can reclaim their children if they change their minds.

Torrico hopes that extending the time period would give confused mothers more time to consider their options. His bill includes provisions to educate mothers about the safe-surrender law, to let local agencies rather than counties designate safe-surrender sites, and to protect the sites from being dangerous for a surrendered child before discovery.

Press-Enterprise reporter Philip Riley contributed to this report.

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Written by guest author Debbie Yocum:

Debbie Yocum
Guest Author

Any trip can take a lot of planning but with 6 kids in tow, it can be an even greater challenge. We have done the houseboat trip a few times which can be a lot of fun but can be a lot of work too. It is almost as much work as being at home except you are on the water while you cook your dinner, fold your laundry or clean your floors (which are always dirty no matter what).