The boy's school sometimes has competitions where the children have to build/make stuff. This months is with recycled goods.
The entries are starting to come in. I saw some of the entries today that DS2's classmates made and to my eyes they are clearly the product of a great deal of work and ingenuity. Most of the work and ingenuity being that of their parents. I see what these kids make in class and it is a world away from the work they bring from home.
On the whole I don't help much with these projects. I offer advice when asked directly and will help out with specific chores as directed or buy materials (within reason) but on the whole the work my boys take to school is the work they do.
Today I'm kind of feeling like **** on my children's behalf. DS1 made a robot. He followed the brief and only used recycled materials and he did it himself. The robot they held up at assembly today had materials that were recyclable but not recycled and was the work of a parent. DS felt good about his robot but once he saw that robot he felt bad about it. Which ****s me to tears (literally). He can't produce work that is the same standard as an adult and even if he could because I made him follow the brief he doesn't have access to the same materials (they were allowed to use what they found in the recycling bins). DS2 made a platypus enclosure. I love the originality of his idea and IMO it's a pretty high standard for work that he's done all alone. I know that now he's going to be disappointed with it.

I'm not sure where I'm going with this....... part vent/rant but also......

How much do you help you children with stuff for school? Do you make them do it themselves or do you help out? How much? How do you reassure your children that their work is worthy when they can see for their own eyes that other children are bringing in better built, more complex items.

I always make jokes about how you can spot the kids whose parents make them do their own work but it doesn't feel much like a joke today.