Hellobee Boards

My parents weren't very involved in our education aside from the fact the we had to do well. But that's because they don't speak English very well. My husband's parents worked a lot but they did what they could o be involved. We hope to have a 50/50 partnership as well - at least in the early years. My son is also in a unique position in that he's in a language school that won't be teaching English until first grade. So we would need to work on that at home with him.

I agree with the 50/50 split. I think that goes as far as choosing the right kind of education/school for your child as well as keeping on top of homework, parent-teacher interviews, etc. I also think parents should supplement their child's education (as much as possible) with great experiences. I know all the traveling we did as kids really helped shape who I am today. I also think parents need to keep the final goal in sight - producing a happy, self-sufficient, well-adjusted adult that can and does contribute to society. I think my parents focused too much on unattainable academics, particularly with my brother and sister, and were too focused on producing an engineer or a lawyer or a geologist. I think it's parents' responsibility to provide a child with life experiences to learn from and reflect on and grow with.

Not that I'm opinionated or anything . . .

I agree with 50/50. It's my (and my DH's) responsibility to make sure my child gets to school, stays at school, and does their homework. I have to be the one to encourage them to talk openly about school, classroom interaction, what they're learning, etc. and to really listen to be sure there aren't problems. It's our responsibility to make sure they are excited about school and to show them my enthusiasm for their education. And then of course there are the things we teach them outside of school that complement their in-school education -- morals, ethics, etc. I also love what @eiko2010: said about supplementing their current curriculum at home.

I'm so sick of parents blaming teachers/schools for everything. There is a certain large personal and familial responsibility -- and guess what, the kid has responsibility too. If our child fails a class, I'm not going to be yelling at the teacher for giving them an F. I'm going to be figuring out where my kid dropped the ball to allow this to happen.