Kids refusing to do home learning!

[Falcon1]

This is week 3 of home learning. Kids are year 2 and reception. It started off well, with them both enthusiastic, but now I'm finding it harder and harder to get them to do anything! The older one has just started to refuse to do any of the work that school has set and I'm obviously doing a rubbish job of making it interesting. I'm trying to do just a bit of proper learning each day, with plenty of breaks, online educational games, outdoor play and craft activities. But the actual literacy and maths stuff (the important bits!) are just met with complete refusal to engage. The younger one has the concentration span of about 2 minutes and as soon as she finds something hard or gets something wrong, she gets cross and gives up. I'm tearing my hair out. I feel so ill equipped to be teaching them and am stressed with how much learning they're missing out on.

Their school - other than providing some worksheets - have not provided any other help. They're both missing their teachers and friends and are feeling very fed up with me and each other. Can't say I blame them!

[GreyishDays]

We’re only doing about 30 minutes a day, and some days it doesn’t happen. Mine are a bit older too.
I would try and just do two minutes. Or five on a good day.

[RaraRachael]

Please don't stress too much. A lot of parents are getting in a flap about their children "being behind" when school returns. I have set up an online classroom and only 1 out of 23 children has done anything! I am putting up a range of things for the kids to do and asking the parents get them to do as much or as little as they want.

[Spied]

We are working through the home learning pack very slowly.
DC 9&10. I'm getting lots of angst and refusal and tbh I'm happy if they both choose one small exercise from it to do a day.
This morning DS did a maths quiz (15mins)
DD rushed through a literature exercise ( making loads of mistakes as in rush to get it finished in 5 mins).
I'm hoping as the novelty of being off school gets tired then they will start to do more.
I'm thinking of making a timetable with them.
Wish me luck!

[adagio]

Year 2 and nursery ore school (age 4) here. On work days I’m pretty much leaving them feral with done encouragement where I can. On non work days (fri/sat/sun) we are trying harder To do the proper school tasks.

Little and often (no big blocks) and lots of easy play stuff such as count this or draw a rainbow or get the big one to write letters for the little one to draw over, or draw me an xyz (rainbow, beach, cloudy sky etc)

Also writing letters to friends which I photo and text to the mum, sending email to friends/family etc.

[adagio]

Sorry for typos forgot to proof read!

[elQuintoConyo]

I've got an 8yo so in year 3? (Not in UK). We've been doing experiments with rubber bands, old CDs, balloons, felt - any crap. Watching what happens with ice. Weighing a full yoghurt and then empty yoghurt to see the difference (can calculate the weight of the pit), weigh ice let it melt weigh it again - any difference? Weigh microwave bag of popcorn, cook it, weigh it again - what's the difference? Etc.

We made a lollipop stick catapult (or tape a spoon to a loo toll for leverage) and flung things like Lego head, paperclip, corks, smarties tube lid, key etc to see which went furthest and write down the results. Nothing to do with schoolwork (which has been quite boring).

No worksheets. Lots of helping me cook, helping me clean (squirting water in the window, old towel to wipe it off - "more fun than Minecraft" apparently ). Blanket forts.

DS made a mission impossible set up by winding wool around chairlegs for laser beams, putting pegs on the floor like mines, fishing sharks, dinosaurs etc any plastic animals, chairs to climb under/over. Huge hit. Took all morning, several attempts to get it perfect, the we videoed it and whatsspoed to family and his mates.

Really simple stuff, lots of hugs, lots of relaxed laughs - we're all stressed as fuck WFH, no garden, only allowed out to walk dog (Spain). DS hasn't been out since March 14th and he's missing his athletics. We WhatsApp friend and family a LOT, almost two hours/day chatting 20mins here and there.

Give yourself a break. Your children need food, love, tranquility. We're about to enjoy a floor picnic lunch! The dog will love us

[mummmy2017]

Just put loads of educational video's on.
Some even teach them French.
Maths. Times tables.
Tell them it is school work, sit and watch and talk them through it.

[megletthesecond]

11yr old DD has done about 3 hours in two weeks. It's impossible and wasn't worth the aggro.
Her older brother sticks to his timetable religiously 🤷‍♀️.

[BrooHaHa]

Easter holidays start tomorrow. Try again on the 20th April.

[Whatwedontknow]

Oh so many of my colleagues are finding this. Their children of all ages are weepy, refusing to do any work and have lost all of the motivation that they had in the beginning.

And of course they also have the competitive mummy's of social media posting pictures of all of the work being done by their children. Its bollocks.

We are struggling with this situation, so are the children. Their whole structure has disappeared, they are missing friends, retaining energy and their emotions are all over the place.

[Falcon1]

Thanks everyone, it's made me feel less alone. It doesn't help that I have so many ex-teacher friends, who are understandably finding it much easier than me! I'll try to chill out a bit.

[Tree22]

My son has just set up a site to help year 10s keep going with Gcse work from home. He made really great revision notes and got all grade 9s last year- hopefully he can help others now. He was writing materials for another study site but was laid off when the lockdown started. //Www.straightnines.com

[Rockbird]

My year 7 has done the bare minimum and the teachers are hassling her for her work. She won't contact them to ask for help though. They just need to know that she's struggling and they'll be able to help but she puts her head down and hopes it will all go away.

[GreeboIsMySpiritAnimal]

If I'm being honest, I don't understand how children of 4-5 and 6-7 get to "refuse" to do anything their parents ask of them. If you have no authority over them at this age, god help you in 10 years time.

[Falcon1]

Thanks Greebols, that's helpful. What do you suggest I do, threaten them? My oldest is miserable because she loves school and her friends, and is rebelling as a result.

[goldpendant]

@GreeboIsMySpiritAnimal how old are your DC? That was a really unhelpful comment. Of course kids object to stuff, have you never heard of or witnessed a temper tantrum?

My 6yo is undiagnosed but definitely on the ASD spectrum, possibly also has ODD (Objectional Defiant Disorder). OP, we've had the same as you, it's virtually impossible and for all our sanity's we have decided to try for 20 min stints. Any literacy has been met with disdain so I'm weaving it in wherever possible (write a list of the cool things you drew on that airplane etc) but it's VERY limited.

Just do tiny bits, with lots of encouragement and incentives.

[HPandTheNeverEndingBedtime]

At their age reading with them and to them is the most important activity you can do. The rest of it can be caught up later, spend time with them, count daisies on the lawn do whatever is needed to keep you all sane. Practise fine motor skills by using scissors cutting up newspaper or thin cardboard from packages etc, build strength in their fingers to aid handwriting by playing with playdoh etc. Let them paint old containers and make a junk model town. Take photos of what you have done with them instead and send that in. Teachers HAD to set work and we have to keep setting work regardless of if it is being completed or not.

My dept (secondary) have allocated different staff members to cover different year groups only 12/400 students of the 2 year groups I'm monitoring have been completing the set work.We will catch them up. The only years who really need to try and keep on top of it are year 9 and 10 for their GCSEs as we won't have time to revise content at the end of year 11 as we'll be behind on units.

[blibblibs]

We're having a hellish time. One, Y6 is cracking on with the work school have set but since it is all revision work as they were gearing up for sats.
Other one, Y7 is a nightmare. School just keep sending stuff, it's relentless. He's clever enough but bone idle and doesn't as yet have the skill set to source all the information he needs and would just rather I did in the guise of helping.
School informed us today that they would be sending work out over the holidays and you know what, they can go to hell. It might've only been two weeks but we all need a break and I need to figure out a better way of dealing with the situation or our house is going to be a very unpleasant place to be.

[GreeboIsMySpiritAnimal]

Mine are 8 and 5, and the eldest is on the autistic spectrum. They do as they are told, by me or their dad, because they know there will be consequences - removal of treats and screen time - if they don't.

[HPandTheNeverEndingBedtime]

DD (10) didn't want to do her school work today but wanted to dig a pond so she was out in the garden with a hand trowel make a mess of the weeds. Whilst I WFH setting other people's children work and preparing stuff for next year. Needs must, don't stress. Those mums who seem to have it altogether won't forever.

[GreeboIsMySpiritAnimal]

And when they work hard, they get a lot of praise and the occasional reward.

[GreeboIsMySpiritAnimal]

And actually, @goldpendant, I've been on the receiving end of many a tantrum, and several full-on meltdowns.

[HPandTheNeverEndingBedtime]

@blibblibs The school have to keep setting work so other parents don't complain. If you can get them to try a little of something everyday and to do maybe 30 mins of fictional reading and then later 30 mins of something non-fiction that would be great. If the school are receptive email his form teacher and say he's struggling.

[Taswama]

I agree with HP , really no need to stress at their age. Read to them, listen to them read, do basic maths in cooking etc. There are some free/cheap apps like Doodle maths and Nessy if you like too.

Mine are 9 and 12. Both autistic and have a lot of support at school. I can’t give them that level (simultaneously) at home so we have lowered expectations and I have told secondary he won’t be doing all the work set. Minor detail : I also have a job as does DP.

[Ullupullu]

Don't do any. They are so young that this blip won't have a long impact on their education. Read books to them. Draw with them. Go in the garden. Relax. They will remember this period for how they feel and right now you are all stressed. So stop.