Homeowork Oh! Homework

Homework! Oh, Homework!
I hate you! You stink!
I wish I could wash you away in the sink,
if only a bomb
would explode you to bits.
Homework! Oh, homework!
You're giving me fits.

I'd rather take baths
with a man-eating shark,
or wrestle a lion
alone in the dark,
eat spinach and liver,
pet ten porcupines,
than tackle the homework,
my teacher assigns.

Homework! Oh, homework!
you're last on my list,
I simple can't see
why you even exist,
if you just disappeared
it would tickle me pink.
Homework! Oh, homework!
I hate you! You stink!

By: Shel Silverstein

By far one of my all time favorite poems growing up!  And you might be asking why?  Clearly it should be obvious, I hated the fact that here you went to school ALL day and then low and behold you had to go home and do more school work.  So I took a different approach to my studies - I would finish my homework any other time other than at home.  On the bus, before 1st period at the end of another class when I was finished with class work.  Although this wasn't until the high school years.  I don't really remember there being homework in elementary school.  But here I sit every night with  my 1st grader and the homework doesn't stop flowing.  Kindergarten was not much better.  So how do I get my sweet angel to enjoy or at least not complain so much about having to put a little pen to paper?  When more than likely she received a fair amount of my genes and I'm thinking I don't ever remember her dad being that thrilled with the idea of after school studies.  So I'm going to start a small series that explores the different tactics the experts and other parents implore to trick - I mean encourage their children to crack the books.

If you have any suggestions please feel free to let me know.  I really want after school learning time to be enjoyable so she continues it for as long as possible!!