More Tales of the Subway

Yesterday, on my way to work, a mother and her approximately 10 year old son get on the train.

BOY: Mom, did you make my toast?

MOM: Yes, it's in your backpack. But story first, then toast.

BOY: Aw.

They sit down and he pulls a black and white marble notebook and a pencil from his bag. It becomes clear that his homework had been to write a story using some new words the class had learned. He was having a hard time thinking of what to write and his mom was helping him out.

Needless to say, by the time their stop arrived, he had still not written a single sentance.

Last week, there was another kid doing homeowrk with a parent on the train.

What's the deal? I understand high school or college kids doing their homeowrk at the last minute. But kids who need parental supervision for their homework? Where were their parents last night? I'll bet Story Boy didn't hand in his best effort. He looked like he could have come up with something great, given proper time and conditions (aka a table instead of his lap on a moving train). Parents might take their children's performance under consideration when deciding to let them push their work off until the morning it is due.