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My DS sometimes really fools around when I'm trying to get him to do his homework e.g. he gets silly and writes some letters really big or will draw a line across the page. I try so hard to be patient but often end up losing it a bit.

Please tell me I'm not the only one and I'm not a terrible mother!

The clue is in the title...... He is only five. I presume he has been at school all day and just wants to come home and play. Relax a little, try and make it fun for him.
Use other ways to help him practice.

Trouble is that he still needs to do the homework - I can't get around that by doing other things.

The key is to pick the right time for both if you. The more stressed you get the less interested and afraid of home work he will be over time. I do feel like you sometimes and it Isn't only unfair to the child it also affects their self steam and performance at school. Sometimes is better to ditch the schedule and don't do homework (if you can do it another time) than cause a big deal of it.

Can I ask why he needs to do homework?

I wish we had more flexibility but we get homework every night so if I delay it, it just means there's double the next day. When he was in Reception, it was less homework and the teacher didn't mind if we caught up. But it's different in Year 1.

He needs to do homework because the school is setting it for him - he goes to an independent school.

Maybe you can than pay a tutor or somebody else to helpb him with homework.

Thanks but that's not a viable option.

Poor little sod having homework at 5

Gosh I am a terrible mother aren't I for sending him to a school that gives out homework? I have some friends who send their children to local state schools and they have homework - isn't that the norm? He is in Year 1 not Reception

Ah ok, I'd assumed reception.

What sort of homework is it?

The homework he doesn't like and which he is playing up with is writing. It's normally just a sentence or so but we get this homework several times a week. He has other homework too which he enjoys and gets on with without any upset - spellings, basic numeracy.

What about just letting him hand it in like that, and seeing what happens. Perhaps having to answer to the teacher explaining why his writing is all over the place will help him to be a little more focussed at home. Not sure if he would have to 'answer to the teacher' btw, my Y1 DDs certainly wouldn't as they are only 5, but I do for the most part just let them get on with it as they need to learn to hand in presentable work. I have DTs and one takes her time & concentrates, the other messes around. Not a lot I can do about it really.

I'm not sure whether the teacher would broach it with him, or whether it would just come back to me as a comment in the book. I haven't tried that as I didn't want him to think it was acceptable to hand in sloppy work but that could be an option.

I suggest a timer. Set it for ten or twenty minutes and if the homework is not done after that time then forget it. If your son fails to make a reasonable attempt then punish him. (Ie. no TV or computer for the rest of the evening. Or if you are against punishment then think of it as withholding a reward)

Alternatively talk to the teacher and devise a plan. Prehaps if he fools about and draws some letters stupidly large or lines across the page he can be made to redo his homework during golden time. (Assuming private schools have golden time ofcouse.)

I don't mind withholding things. He's not allowed to watch telly until he's done his homework anyway because if I let him sit in front of the telly first, it really is a struggle.

I don't know what golden time is - that's not to say it doesn't exist though

I had similar problems and went with letting DS hand in what he had done. I get very frustrated with homework sometimes.

DS is now in year 3, since last year I stopped nagging - reminded him it needed to be done a couple of times and that was it - he seems to take responsibility for his homework now.

How about a kitchen timer and once it's buzzed the homework is put away, explaining that he will need to tell his teacher why it's not fully completed?

Crossed posts. Golden time is free time they have in class. DS's class lose golden time if homework / spellings are not done.

State primary schools have the last lesson on a friday as golden time. Typically they get out lego, do drawing, junk modelling or some other fun activity. Naughty children lose some or all of their golden time.

Most year one children would be utterly bereft to lose their golden time. The threat of losing golden time does wonders in the average state primary.

I suggest you talk to his teacher to think of a plan.

Thanks all. I think I will try to back off a little with him and allow him to make mistakes

Suebfg-I can sympathise my son does lose concentration easily at times, particularly on Thursdays when we practie his spellings for his test Friday, he does get very tired though and just wants that break from school. I have always kept calm though and kept on praising him and he has always got his spellings right on a Friday, a lot of parents have said the same so remember your not the only one. Also every time he completes his spellings correctly I give him a sticker and homework is done before Xbox time etc. Hope that helps.
Emma.

Written homework every night at the age of 5 is plain ridiculous. The trouble is, I guess, if you complain they're answer will be "remove him then". If it were my son's state school we simply wouldn't do it if it involved forcing him.