I'd back out on assistance and say after giving it more thought, your DD can't spare the time. I think the initial request was inappropriate. A 9 year old should not be responsible for the academic success of a peer. Answering a few quick questions on an ad hoc basis? Maybe if you're both on board. But for a potentially ongoing relationship, other more appropriate resources, like the teacher, have a legitimate duty to the underperforming student.
There are a number of reasons why I think the request was inappropriate:
1. Work/favours are being marketed as a social/play opportunity, which they aren't. That's a manipulative play with your daughter's emotions.
2. Information asymmetry-- you don't know the source or extent of the child's need for assistance. What if the child has a LD? Your DD is in no way qualified to address that and could cause more harm than good.
3. Knowing the socioeconomics of your neighborhood, I'm going to infer that the child's parents can do elementary level math, which begs the question of why they aren't stepping up to the plate. Are these the kind of people who share your values? If not, why begin a relationship with them? They should have approached the teacher to explore the option of peer tutoring first, and had the teacher facilitate.
4. If your daughter is being called in to do work, they should at least offer to pay her. That they aren't makes me agree with 22B that the parents are being exploitative.
5. Perhaps most importantly, your DD's time. She only had one free day, and now it's going to be spent working. I think the value of free time is underestimated.
Last edited by aquinas; 04/11/14 01:36 PM.
