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Education

Who hates homework?

58 replies

poppiesinaline · 16/01/2006 16:18

I HATE HOMEWORK! The strops and tantrums DS has over homework really gets me down. No matter when he does it, no matter what it is, he cries, he grumps and kicks the chair and it always takes him forever to finish it!

I can't stand it! He is presently crying over his maths homework. I have checked that he understands it - which he says he does, he just can't be bothered basically! Please tell me I am not alone. And please has anyone got any tips to make this better for me and DS! (He is 9 btw)

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Blandmum · 16/01/2006 16:21

Let him not do it, and take the consequences in school.

It is his homework, and his responsibility. I know it seems rough, but he has to take responsibility for his own learning and the earlier he starts the better. (I', a teacher BTW)

Jusrt, whatever you do, don'y bail him out at the last minute and support the teacher in the consequence.

Repeat the manta, 'it is his homework not mine, I left school a long time ago!'

If it helps, I've got one like it.

wordgirl · 16/01/2006 16:22

No, you're not alone and that scenario sounds very familiar but I don't really have any advice I'm afraid.
I really object to homework and I don't think children should be given it in primary school. But that doesn't really help you at all does it

soapbox · 16/01/2006 16:28

I hate it with a passion and think at 5 and 7 YO mu DCs get too much of it and that too much of it is boring, repetitive, unimaginative crap!

Routine seems to be the key to getting it done without too much fuss, but I'm afraid my patience runs very very thin with it all.

The timer gets put in for 20 mins and the second it goes off books go away! That is quite enough at their ages!

SauerKraut · 16/01/2006 16:33

I have a very quick 6 year old who doesn't see the point in doing repetitive work which she finds far too easy. Result: mega- strops! I point out to her that she can have it done in 10 mins flat and enumerate all the exciting things that she will then have time for before tea!

poppiesinaline · 16/01/2006 16:35

Thanks MB. Nice to get some tips from a teacher! Glad to know I am not suffering alone! The worse thing is - I know its only going to get worse as he gets older... more and more homework looms on the horizon.

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poppiesinaline · 16/01/2006 16:42

LOL. Just had to snigger! DS is now doing his Literacy homework. He has got to write a persuasive letter to his teacher. He has chosen to write to her about why he shouldn't have to do any homework!

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Blandmum · 16/01/2006 16:46

That boy will go far!

TBH you might as well bite the bullet now as you are quite correct this is going to continue. Better to get them into the habit now than be having the same argument with a spotty, hormone fueled 'Kevin' I think

PeachyClair · 16/01/2006 16:47

My ds (4) does this too, last week he went in with it undone (I had trusted dad to supervise but appareently dad had discopvered a box of unopened meccano at the bottom of the birthday pile). Did DS2 get a telling off? Nope, i got a few sarky comments aimed at me though. Grrr.

Why is it always my job? Can't Dh at least be held up as responsible too?

jac34 · 16/01/2006 16:47

I'm glad to see that a teacher says,let the children take responsibility for their homework.
I've been tempted may times just to say,"Well don't do it then,and see what happens".I've always been afraid,their teacher would think we just couldn't be bothered to help them.

I've just had DS crying today,as he didn't want to read his book.I just said I'd read it to him but he had to follow the words carefully.

Blandmum · 16/01/2006 16:51

It isn't your homework! It your ds's dd's.

Now supportive is great, and I would draw the line at telling the child you think home work is a waste of time....'My dad says teachers only set HW because they are too lazy to do the work in class' is a direct quote I will always cherish!

But in the end only the child can learn. We can teach, the parents can teach and support, but the ultimate responsibility is the child's.

Trick is getting them to see that

jetlagdZebra · 16/01/2006 17:08

Am curious... how young do you think they should "take responsibility"? DS1 is 6 & also hates doing his homework (mostly), but I feel obliged to coax him into it.

sunnydelight · 16/01/2006 17:17

I was just thinking the same thing a couple of hours ago! I struggle with finding the appropriate level of support to give DS1 (year 8 and dyslexic). I've seen him hand in a piece of work that has taken him 2 hours to complete and it looks like some lazy bugger scribbled it down in 10 minutes, and I really couldn't allow him to hand in a piece of RE homework that said Thomas "torched the howls in Jesus' hands" following the crucifixion!!!!! I encourage him to use the spell check, and to think for himeself, but ultimately I go through his work for grammar/punctuation/spelling (with him, and explaining what I am doing) - maybe that's too much help but if I don't it looks like the work of a 6 year old.

poppiesinaline · 16/01/2006 17:33

Oooo, picture of 'a fueled Kevin' does not bring joy to my heart!

BTW DS's letter is quite funny! He hasn't finished it yet but he is going on about how long homework takes and how he could be doing X Y and Z!!

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Tommy · 16/01/2006 17:36

found myself thinking this yesterday. My DS is at nursery and he has homework every week. If they do their homework, they get a certificate or a sticker which I think is really unfair - if he doesn't do his HW, it's hardly his fault at age 3 is it?

Blandmum · 16/01/2006 17:38

I think that they can be gently led into responsibility once they move to Primary from infants school, so year 3 and above...mind you I'm secondary, so what do I know??

poppiesinaline · 16/01/2006 17:43

MB - secondary?! You brave lady you!

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Blandmum · 16/01/2006 17:46

Its a fab job, I love it...I have a great time table this year, all the kids I teach are great.

iota · 16/01/2006 17:48

my ds1 had just written 'to hard' on his maths homework -- what should I do leave it or try to help him?

he's 6 and is usu. very good at maths

iota · 16/01/2006 17:59

hello - -a little help here please?

Blandmum · 16/01/2006 18:01

If it is an easy errror to correct then give some help. If he doesn't understand in a 'major' way the teacher needs to know this. I often give homework to help to sort out any probelms that the children have in a given topic. If they do, I'll sort it out at the start of the next lesson. I don't want to know tat their mum can do it, but that they can do it IYSWIM. Let the error stand, the teacher needs to know.

iota · 16/01/2006 18:09

he's done the first part stuff like 71 - 69 = but has refused to do the next section which is stuff like 63 + 29 =

I didn't think I should show him how to do it in case it's not the way they are taught at school

mandieb · 16/01/2006 18:10

I dont like home work but I can really see the need for it to be done as it is only going over the work they have covered in class. The teachers dont have enough hours in the day . I am mean I make DS 6yrs year 2 do his home work in one night as when he gets to year three he will have several pieces in a week so better to get it done and out the way . I refuse to do homework at weekends as this is our time .I also remind him iy is his work not mine I can read already . With reading if they do it every day 20 mins they are the ones who are benefitting from this no one else .

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boobyprize · 16/01/2006 18:21

Sunnydelight two boys aged 8 and 9 both dyslexic oldest one is severe younger not to bad.It is murder doing their homework i just don't have a clue how to support them and it really gets me down.They can't do the homework without my one to one support.Then the 20 min of reading each night.
My eldest had homework tonight where it was a short story and he had to do spelling corrections,capital letters and full stops to it.I can't belive the homework the poor little sod gets.He done it with my support for 20 mins tonight and if i hadn't called it a day we would still be doing it at 11 pm tonight.I wrote on it my son finds this to difficult.
I have a toddler as well.We are supposed to do homework ,practise spellings,read for 20 minutes,cook a decent meal for them,bath them and let them have FUN and put them to bed at a decent hour.Wonder woman i am not and then they make me feel like a faliure on parents evenings.
So poppiesinaline no your not the only one babe.Shall we all go on strike

roisin · 16/01/2006 18:25

I'm not a huge fan of homework in KS1, but I do think one possible benefit of it is to teach children how to tackle it.

With mine I insisted that they sat down straight after their snack from school and got it over with. I would insist they sit and concentrate for up to 20 mins, but not longer even if they hadn't finished it. Then several times over the next few days when we were doing something fun, I would remind them how fortunate they were to have got the homework completed so we had time to do fun things.

Now (they are 6 and 8) they both do homework with no supervision, no help, and no fuss.
It doesn't look terribly beautiful, but it really doesn't take them long.

(Having said that ds2 did spend 10 mins this evening looking on a wordsearch for a word that wasn't there ... ROFL! He eventually did come and ask for help!)

Like a lot of things if you set up the basic rules, and establish homework as non-negotiable it saves a lot of stress in the longrun.

poppiesinaline · 16/01/2006 18:46

Boobyprize - ah that sounds like my house. I have two other children - one of which is a 9 month old baby. DH doesn't get home til gone 9 pm so its all up to me. I refuse to let homework to be done at weekends. As someone said, that is our time. DS and DD do have 'routine' for homework, always have. Has to be done when first given, snack and then homework. DD does homework like a dream but DS is another story!

I do sometimes feel like I have to be wonderwoman! DH would like that - he used to fancy wonderwoman

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