Teacher's Homework Note Sparks Online Debate on Parents Helping Children

A mother has shared on the social network Threads an entry from her child's school diary, which has set off a wider discussion about how much parents should help children with homework. In the diary, a mathematics teacher wrote down the assignment and added a special condition: "Do the exercises in your notebook from the worksheet. Don't ask your family for support!"

The short, unambiguous instruction made many people laugh. One commenter recalled a joke about a boy who was praised for completing his homework without a single mistake. When the teacher asked who had helped him, the child shyly answered: "Grandma."

Guesses about the reason

Users tried to work out why the teacher wrote the note. One commenter suggested that a parent had previously cut out and glued everything in too neat a fashion. Another thought the teacher might be tired of correcting parents' work, adding that she herself occasionally reminds people not to do tasks in place of their children.

What role should parents play?

The thread also raised the question of parental involvement in learning. One woman said her mother had always been firmly against doing tasks for a child. In her view, it is better to help the child understand the assignment and work through it together, rather than doing everything for them or showing no interest at all.

Not everyone agreed. One participant said parents do not have to complete the whole task, but should help when the child asks. She added that teachers sometimes later tell parents their child is uneducated.

Another commenter admitted that helping her son often leads to disagreements. As a left-handed person, she said, she understands many things the opposite way round, and an argument follows as he tries to explain what is correct.