How do you fit in all the homework??

[catnipkitty]

Hi
Feeling a bit overwhelnmed at the moment... DD1 is in yr 3 and in a week she has to learn timestables (as many as possible), do maths homework, learn spellings and do reading every day. DD twins are in yr 2 and they have reading every day, a maths game to play and spellings to learn each week. DD twins do no after school activities, DD1 only does Brownies after school. We get home from school about 3.55, they have an hour to play while I sort supper, we eat at 5pm, I clear up while they play and then we start bath n bed stuff about 6 and they're in bed by 7.30pm. We always do some reading before bed but it's so hard making them sit down and do other work after a full on day at school when I feel they should be allowed to relax and play with eachother. They're still only 6 and 7 yrs old for goodness sake...

Sorry for rambling!

[Sleepingonthebus]

catnipkitty rant away. It's one of my favourite subjects!

I get in from work about 5.15pm, we have dinner and then it's homework time for DD in P2 and DS in P4.

Then it's bathtime and bed, and I feel I haven't spent any time with them other than doing homework.

They get really fed up with the routine, and I feel bad because we don't have time to do other stuff in the evenings.

[AChickenCalledKorma]

To be honest, I wonder if it is time to re-examine the pre-bedtime routine? 6pm seems quite early for a child in Yr3 to be starting to head for bed. If it's possible to shorten the bedtime routine, you could gain yourself some extra time for playing, which might make it feel less harsh to do homework straight after school. I'm certainly finding homework is easier now DD1 is older (Yr 5), because although she has more, she also has more waking hours available to do it in!

For what it's worth, we do:
Reading - every day, either in bed or first thing in the morning. DD2 is in Yr 2 and reads to me when she lies down. Or if we forget, in the morning. DD1 is in Yr5 and happily reads to herself when she wakes up. I only hear her read about once a week.

Spellings, times tables etc: Our school doesn't set these routinely in the same way as other schools. But when there are things like this to be learned, they are done in the car, walking to the shops, or chatting while preparing meals. They rarely sit down and write them out.

Worksheets etc: Plan the week. Work out which day will be "homework day". Bite the bullet, sit down with them and get them done.

[Sleepingonthebus]

ramble away, not rant

[AngryFeet]

Well the reading we do at bedtime as we have always done books in bed but now they read them to me. They also have weekly spelling which takes 20 mins and we do it Sunday night. Then they have a bi-weekly project which is done on a weekend (so every other weekend). So not much time really. Depends how often you have to do the spellings/maths/timetables. Surely not every day? I would have a big problem with that and would say something. I expect daily homework in secondary but not primary.

[jenniec79]

That was about the age my dad taught me the joys of Reading In The Bath Total lifeskill imo!

It's either utterly decadent or one multitask too far (!) but washable bath crayons might be an idea for the spellings too - a silly way of learning them often makes them (and tables) stick better (we used to scream them down the garden too)

[LynetteScavo]

Our routine is similar to yours, OP, but we don't get home untill 4.30pm, then same routine and asleep by 8pm. Fitting in homework is a massive stress after a day at work.

Tommorow the DC's have tennis u till 6.30pm...home by 7pm....bath and bed....at what point can the do home work/ music practice????

I have told DS2's teacher that we need to have homework over the weekend, (2 whole days with nothing today except football and swimming lessons!) But she still refuses to give it out on Friday afternoon as promised.

[Scholes34]

Practise music at 8.00 am, or rather 1/4 hour before leaving for school once everything else is sorted - get up earlier if you don't have time. OP, you might feel overwhelmed, but it's only going to get worse, so you need to start adapting now. For example, my 10 and 12 year old DSs are at Scouts until 9.15 pm once a week, football training until 7.30 pm and Judo until 8.00 pm. It won't be long before you're into a timetable like this.

[redskyatnight]

DD (Y1) and DS (Y3) do 3 after school activities each. With that and seeing friends/grandparents the after school time soon goes!!

For us, we sit down to eat as a family at 6pm. After tea DS does spellings, tables and keyboard practice. DD does spellings. Other homework is done over the weekend. Normally DH and I will supervise/help 1 child each, but we try to minimise this and encourage them to do as much as possible on their own. DD goes straight up for a wash after her spellings. We used to do washes/baths for both children at the same time, but with the increased homework DS has in Y3, he now goes up later and to bed later (which he likes lol!). AFter they are ready for bed they have to read to us and then we read to them (again, we normally try to take 1 child each, if 1 of us is out the non-reading child is allowed to play while the other reads to us and we then read them stories together.

Routine helps - we also don't push if the child is too tired and just do what we can.

[bigTillyMint]

Find 10mins everyday, preferably at the same time (maybe directly after tea? Leave the clearing up till later!) and sit down with them to get something done.

Little and often and a routine has worked well in our house, and just as well as DD gets a mountain of homework from her sec school, but as she's in the routine, it's not too much of a problem. As long as she's not exhausted from a sleepover on the weekend, grrr....

[planetpotty]

My SIL a teacher and she said never to do more than 20 mins with kids around yr3 and we have found we get much more out of DSD doing a 20 min chunk and always finishing on a high. But we explain that it has to be a good quality 20 mins, not 5 mins faffing and the begining and end etc.

Its a real worry re homework and family time balance for us when my DC are at school and im back at work especially when kids LOOOOVE to put things off til the last minute and SURPRISE egyptian project for tomorrow is needed oh and can you make me a ladybird suit please :) kids!

[Butkin]

DD is yr 4 and now and even more intense although she did more after school activities in Yr 3 and often didnt get home until 4.15pm. Our rule is that, after a snack, she does her home work first - certainly before any TV/Playtime. It is vital she does her reading, spellings, maths, projects etc whilst she is still in work mode and before she gets tired.

She then normally vegs out in her playroom or watching TV until she has tea around 6pm. We don't stay bathtime until 7pm and she is in bed at 7.30 when she reads her library book or we read to her until lights out at 8pm prompt.

To be honest she really only plays, see friends etc at weekends and holidays but that is fine.

[Downnotout]

DD2 is now year 5. We have 45 minutes Maths or English every night. Double on a weekend. Also weekly spellings, reading, with a 10 book reading challenge for this term, occasional history/ geography/ French projects and constant times tables speed tests.

She also tries to fit in music practice for piano and singing grades and recorder. She is a member of a well known choir and also has to learn all the words for that and spends one evening a week there, as well as regular concerts.

Add to that the cheerleading for our towns football team (another evening and match day performances).
We had to give up Tiger Sharks swimming and tennis as they clashed with after school sports club and netball.

I am exhausted with it all. We are three weeks into term and I feel physically drained. I'm sure some of you will think we're mad. DD2 is , however, sailing along and doesn't stress about any of it. It's like being on a treadmill and not knowing how to get off.

Sorry not to offer advice on how to cope, I'm not coping myself! But I wanted to let you know that there are lots of us who find it all overwhelming.

DD2 wants to start hockey now on a Sunday morning and has asked about learning to play the harp................