I will find it SO HARD to insist on my children doing their homework because...

[emkana]

a/ I never did any homework at school and still did well

b/ from having been a teacher myself I think that often homework is only set because that is what is expected

c/ the time I have with my children is so limited by long school days anyway, I don't want to waste it by doing h/w...

I could go on.

[ktmoomoo]

i hate the kids home work it causes so many arguements they do so much work at school already bless em

[TheArmadillo]

same here.

Luckily I have a long time till ds starts school.

Well 2 years anyway.

Am hoping they pass legislation to ban h/w. Well if they're banning exams...

[wrinklytum]

I think testing has gone barmy in this country.

Am dreading ds starting school next year as he still has a nap in afternoon,or if doesn't is absolutely shattered.

The thought of homework,and know they DO get it in year 1 fills me with dread.Poor mite is going to be exhausted.

[BreeVanDerCamp]

LGJ waves at Emkana.

I am having one of your countrymen to dinner tomorrow night. You are German are you not ??

[emkana]

Indeed I am. Where is my countryman from, and how did you meet?

[BreeVanDerCamp]

He is our European director....lovely guy.

Unfortunately his surname is ...........

[BreeVanDerCamp]

HunkerMoeller.....

Not a real problem, except every time I see it written down, I think of HunkerMunker.

[emkana]

[BreeVanDerCamp]

We are doing duck in a cherry and port sauce with garlic potatoes and green veg.

Followed by sticky toffee pudding.

What is a typical German beer, or will he be happy with Perroni ?

[ViciousSquirrelSpotter]

I'm convinced by all three of your reasons

In addition I offer: I can't be arsed and until my children are of an age when they can be reasonably held accountable for taking responsibility for their homework, I'd rather concentrate on nagging them to pick up their clothes, put away their toys, eat with their mouths closed, use cutlery not hands to eat meals, brush their teeth and brush their hair, practice guitar... I'm all nagged out by then.

That reminds me, it's nearly Sunday and DS hasn't looked at his homework book yet.

[emkana]

The food sounds lovely.

I wouldn't worry about getting a typical German beer.

[ViciousSquirrelSpotter]

Mmm, but Hefe Weizen is lurvely

Tastes of bananas

[emkana]

I hate Hefeweizen.

I love Koelsch though, but that's rather difficult to get hold of in the UK...

[BreeVanDerCamp]

Actually on second thoughts....I will skip the beer. I have really impressed this guy in the last week(his words), if he has a job in his budget I want it.

Producing German beer might look a bit creepycrawly....

[emkana]

bump

[LadyVictoriaOfCake]

i hate homework as well, especially for primary school aged children. i make dd1 do it on the day she gets it and resturns it the next day so its over and done with.

i only did homework in secondry school and was useless at it. but school bored me to tears. i got very pssed off once and angry with a teacher as a friend use my coursework as she was away, she practically copied it word for word and she got graded two levels above* me. so i took both bits of coursework to him, and demanded that he regarded mine. he did, thank goodness, and admitted he made a mistake. i still got a C in GCSE but without getting that one re-graded i think it may have caused a lower overallo grade. i was a lazy student, could've got a a/b grades in all GCSE but was so bored of it all by years 4+5, then i just didnt try. but i was never pressured by my parents to do the work, i should really start to look into doing new courses as i dont have any qualifications.

[cornsilk]

Hear, hear Emkana - homework is a waste of time and I hate it. Teacher's also hate it. What's the point?

[Idreamofdaleks]

I agree with you, but if the teacher sets h/w then I feel it is still best to do it.

TBH a lot of it is reading, and without some one to one time on reading my daughter would not have been able to learn to read (she is dyslexic though)

[tigermoth]

Agreee it all your reasons, emkana, if you are talking worksheets.

No homework sheets means it's easier to practise reading and/or a musical instrument.

[cornsilk]

The reading books are also sooo boring. My kids hate them. And they hardly ever change them. They would much rather read the books we have at home.

[roisin]

My boys have always had homework which is very quick to do - less than 10 mins usually, twice a week (in yrs 2-5). We've used it to instill in them good h/w habits - i.e. get on and get it over with on a Friday afternoon after school, then it isn't looming over you.

But for many children all they learn about h/w in primary school is that it's boring, it's not important, the teachers don't mark it, don't check whether you've done it or not, so therefore it's optional ... so by the time they get to secondary they already have a very negative attitude towards h/w.

We had no homework at all in primary school - not even reading books home. I had loads of h/w in secondary, and made the transition well. My db had no h/w in secondary - that was their strategy at the time - he got almost exactly the same grades as me at GCSE/A levels, and is now a consultant surgeon.

[roisin]

I'm off to Germany in 2 weeks' time, and am enjoying looking forward to my beer: thanks for the reminder!

[SueW]

I also don't agree with homework.

Fortunately DD whizzes through hers in less than 5 mins so it has never been a problem and she willingly reads far in excess of the 15 minutes or so that I think school suggests.

However - that makes me more annoyed. If homework is set shouldn't it be something that takes 15 mins for every child so helping them to attain their best.

The only homework I don't mind is when she is asked to research something for a project - she gets onto google, we can go to the library, talk to a neighbour about their house, etc.

[Balls]

wrinklytum - why don't you defer his entry to the following year if you think he is not ready?

[edam]

I hate bloody homework, resented it when I was at secondary school and am not looking forward to blasted 'learning logs' when ds goes into reception. Reception homework, for heaven's sake! If it's anything beyond learning spellings I shall be v. pissed off.