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What did you learn from homeschooling your children? Share with Epson – £200 voucher to be won

210 replies

JustineBMumsnet · 25/03/2021 09:26

Now that most children are back in their physical schools, you might now (finally!) have time to sit down and reflect on the whirlwind experience of home educating your children during a pandemic. Whether your experience involved convincing yourself that watching a vaguely educational documentary counts as a lesson; navigating printing a never-ending stream of worksheets and constantly running out of ink; or wondering why, as an adult, you didn’t understand most of your child’s set work, Epson would like to hear about what you’ve learned from homeschooling your children.

Here’s what Epson has to say: “After months of juggling work and home schooling, parents across the country are breathing a collective sigh of relief. A recent study has shown that 60% of parents preferred teaching their kids using paper rather than a screen. However, printing can come with its frustrations, whether it’s running out of ink at a crucial moment to expensive cartridge costs.

Epson’s flexible ink subscription model, ReadyPrint, means you can print as much as you like without ever running out of ink while saving up to 70% on ink costs…no more last-minute panic when there’s a piece of homework due tomorrow!

Printing shouldn’t be a burden for parents. ReadyPrint helps save you money and gives you peace of mind with ink delivered straight to your door before you run out, making printing as easy as A, B, C.”

Have you learned that Year 5 Maths is a lot harder than you remember it being? Maybe you’ve become aware of just how much your children rely on screens - both in and outside of the classroom - and want to find more ways for your children to use printed resources? Have you noticed an increase in the cost of those learning materials? Maybe you picked up some tips you’d like to share with parents homeschooling (whether short or long-term) in the future? Perhaps running out of ink, paper, or other learning materials at the most inconvenient of times made you realise just how helpful flexible subscription services could be?

All who share what they learned from homeschooling their children on the thread below will be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £200 voucher for the store of their choice (from a list).

Thanks, and good luck with the prize draw!

MNHQ

Insight Terms and Conditions apply

What did you learn from homeschooling your children? Share with Epson – £200 voucher to be won
OP posts:
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Realitea · 25/03/2021 15:53

I found that printing out the work was so much nicer to work with than us looking at a screen. A few weeks in, our printer actually decided that would be the perfect time to break down! We immediately went and got a new one and it was only then that I realised just how much we were relying on it. My daughter also loved me printing out colouring in pages for her to do when she was bored (which was quite a lot of the time)

The subject I enjoyed helping my daughter with, to my surprise, was maths. I always hated maths and thought I was awful at it but the way her teacher taught her was brilliant and it all just clicked for me. I never thought I'd say this but I found a love for maths! I'm so grateful to the teachers for getting us through the whole home learning experience. I know it was new to them too but they made it seem like a doddle.

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BristolMum96 · 25/03/2021 15:55

I learned that I actually quite enjoyed it when I had the time to put in. And it wasn't as hard as I thought albeit with one child. Now back to work so child back to school but wish I could afford to home school full time

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sherrystrull · 25/03/2021 15:57

I learnt that even though I have endless patience when teaching my class, it's a whole different ball game teaching my own children!

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Doublechins · 25/03/2021 16:56

I learned that I could never be a teacher!!

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RiverSkater · 25/03/2021 17:07

I learnt I'd never be a teacher!

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WildCherryBlossom · 25/03/2021 17:10

I learned about Fronted Adverbials. Obviously the concept of starting a sentence with an adverb is not new to me (see what I did there Wink). Just the name, and the fact that 8 year olds need to know it.

There was a lot of the schooling I really enjoyed. We did science experiments and drawings of volcanoes, wrote plays (and performed them badly). It was lovely a lot of the time, but I am glad they are back and seeing friends face to face. They need that!

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flowerycurtain · 25/03/2021 17:20

I learnt that I have not missed out on a career as a teacher. I have neither skills or patience enough to spend all day with young primary kids.

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DancesWithDaffodils · 25/03/2021 17:23

I've learnt my printer is awful, and I hate it.
I've learnt quite how much time disappears in a school day.
I've had reaffirmed how amazingly patient and talented teachers are, and that I'm not cut out for it.
I've learnt quite how far apart my childs maths and English are from expecations.

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WhatWouldPhyllisCraneDo · 25/03/2021 17:27

I learnt how to do binary numbers. I realised that homeschooling with minimal tech is almost impossible, and that just because schools/ the gov say they will provide the necessary it doesn't mean they will. I learnt that I couldn't be a secondary school teacher. I learnt that too much screen time, even of the educational type is awful. The dc don't engage. They switch off.
But I also learnt (or maybe remembered) that my teens are my favourite people on earth. They are kind, funny and amazing. Even if I had moments where I could have throttled shook them Wink

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Easterbunnygettingready · 25/03/2021 17:35

I learned that having 5 dc at home wasn't the greatest move.

.

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SoupDragon · 25/03/2021 17:39

That DD's school was excellent at providing online learning and she was far more diligent and independent than I thought.

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Lentillover1900 · 25/03/2021 17:42

Increased respect for teachers (and I was already in awe of them tbh!)

Realisation that one of my children is seriously smart and already much much sharper and quick than I am to grasp new concepts

That my children’s school really is phenomenal


That learning new stuff is so good for a middle aged brain like me!

That I’m impatient

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NativityDreaming · 25/03/2021 17:43

It has been confirmed to me that I was never supposed to pursue teaching, I hate it.

Though I can appreciate the extra time with my children I think all our lives improve when they are at school.

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JustAnotherBrick · 25/03/2021 19:12

That my children are really nice people to have around Smile.

That I’m still capable of learning stuff, and I should have worked harder at school. Chemistry is not the impossible subject I thought it was and learning in general is far more interesting than I remember!

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Obakarama · 25/03/2021 19:12

I realised that young people can actually organise themselves and focus. Perhaps we do t need 5 days a week school. My DC were so much happier at home and to some extent in control of their own learning.

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StillNoFuckingEyeDeer · 25/03/2021 19:30

I learned about split diagraphs, fronted adverbials and totally new techniques for dividing and multiplying that made me wonder how I got an A-level in maths. It feels like education has been totally reinvented. I feel really old. Don't even get me started on computers.

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DeanImpala67 · 25/03/2021 20:11

I learned that I much prefer just being a parent and not having to be a teacher to my children as well Grin

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Theimpossiblegirl · 25/03/2021 20:41

I learned that teachers are incredibly patient and hardworking.
I also learned to stock up on paper, ink and craft supplies.

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ButterflyOfFreedom · 25/03/2021 21:18

That I'm pretty impatient.
That my DC are pretty good at their school work.
That some topics can go on for weeks / repetition seems to be key.
That you don't need to print things out.
That teachers have a tough gig!

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purplebatbear · 25/03/2021 21:49

I learnt that whilst I'm an incredibly patient and kind teacher at work that my own children can press my buttons and change me. Not in a good way!

I learnt that my son had lots of gaps where his school had been systematically failing him and rather than addressing, had ignored. I then learnt that I could fix those gaps very efficiently once my son realised that Mummy could actually teach, even though I wasn't his teacher... (logic. It's not strong in a 9 year old).

I learnt that my children can get addicted to devices faster than I can make a glass of wine disappear.

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Signoramarella · 25/03/2021 21:58

That it was awful. Too much screen time. But strangely my boys loved the easiness if it, creating their own schedule, making break times routines and having lunch at noon. Overall it got better in lockdown 3 , as lockdown one was totally shit.

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EvilHerbivore · 25/03/2021 22:59

I learnt how imaginative they are - when doing writing, they both were fab at coming up with new worlds
And how resilient - it's been hard but they've kept on going

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Hopezibah · 25/03/2021 23:27

I absolutely loved homeschooling! It helped me learn exactly where my daughter was at with her studies, what she was struggling with and to find ways to engage her that she really enjoyed.
Although lockdown homeschooling isn't always really like true homeschooling as there was this weird mix of school-led work to do without always having the flexibility and freedom to do your own fun learning so it felt like a balance to achieve.

We kind of knew this before but the kids being at home reminded us that you really don't need to do 6 hours of formal learning a day and that learning can take all sorts of forms and a couple of hours of good quality learning time is plenty.

Totally agree that the printer running out of ink at an inconvenient moment is a pain!

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ILovesPeanuts · 26/03/2021 00:23

I learned how to use MS Teams, sort of. With a link I'm fine but can't set up my own meeting.
I learned some dance routines with my daughter, and I learned which household liquids were more acidic in a science experiment involving red cabbage.
I learned some new maths methods with my son but had to watch videos and do some research before I could help him.
I learned that despite being quite fit myself, Joe Wicks workouts are way too hard!

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jellybeanpopper · 26/03/2021 06:05

We don't have school aged children, DD is in nursery. However, we tried to do learning activities with her. It was tough while trying to work from home. I realised what a blessing nursery was, not just because they are amazing and DD loves it but because when she is at nursery some of the time, the time we are together we can really enjoy it. If I stayed at home with her all the time, you forget to appreciate the time you have together. She was so happy when nursery reopened. We on the other hand missed having her around!

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