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Refusing home learning = school welfare

317 replies

Myworldyourworld · 25/02/2021 00:09

My son is coming up 14 all through lock down he has refused to do any home learning. I contacted the school and told them it was hard for him to follow the time table. As I have a child with special needs who does not sleep well. So it means we sometimes sleep later in the mornings. They said it could be more flexible as long as its done. Son still did not do it.

They did say its possible he could go into school under being vulnerable due to his sibling having special needs and it being difficult... but nothing became of this.

My son was also questioned how it would be better for him and he said if he had all his work on paper.. so they did that for him still nothing from him.

I contacted the school on a few occasions for help. As I did not know what to do. They have tried to support. But I guess there's only so much they can do.

He also got emails from the school. Some were positive encouragement. Others were more firm and spoke about how let down they felt and how hard they have tried. He also had a phone call from head of year.

Head of year called Me several days back and told me school welfare are going to pay us a visit. She said it was not a reflection on me. But to try and push my son into doing something. I told him what was happening and he still did nothing.

So tonight welfare officer knocks on the door. They have said I could get fined because hes not been doing work. And have given him till Friday to get a decent amount of work done. They are coming back on Friday. If there's no improvement they may refere to social services.

He is excellent in school his attendance is good. He's top set for everything.

At the moment he's not allowed his playstation. I can't turn of Internet as his older brother is doing A levels so he needs it.

OP posts:
Chocsmyfav · 25/02/2021 12:44

This makes me so angry, you genuinely need a place at school then there are lazy sahp allowed to send their children in. Dosent make sense

Ihatemyseleffordoingthis · 25/02/2021 12:45

"My son 16 has lost all motivation to do any work these past few weeks... I just cried this morning as I know just how much this is going to effect him later on."

Ah you know what, education isn't a one shot deal. It is always available, you can start again any time. It isn't 8 x 7s at GCSE or a life of misery.

RampantIvy · 25/02/2021 12:59

Have some posters forgotten that the OP also has a special needs child at home?

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

lifeturnsonadime · 25/02/2021 13:03

@RampantIvy

Have some posters forgotten that the OP also has a special needs child at home?
Unfortunately there is always a hardcore of those who feel their parenting is superior.

I have 2 children with ASD, I come across this all of the time.

Lockdownbear · 25/02/2021 13:04

Op how are you today?
Hows your son?

RedcurrantPuff · 25/02/2021 13:08

he just felt completely overwhelmed with the amount he had to do so didn't know where to start

I am nearly 48 years old. I’m extremely knowledgeable and capable and amazing at my job. And even I sometimes sit and stare at the volume of work I have and don’t know where to start! And I have years of experience and coping strategies, kids don’t.

FredaFlintstone · 25/02/2021 13:13

@Wotsitsarecheesy but I did say my post wouldn't apply if there are SEN at play. I totally appreciate that if you have a child with ASD or similar then my methods wouldn't apply.

I'm far from a perfect parent. But I really, really struggle to understand parents who say their 12/13 year old are 'refusing' to do xyz and throw their hands up and say there's nothing they can do - again, in cases (and there have been many on this thread) when the child is NT and with no SEN or MH issues.

I mean - how does that even work? Your child refuses to open a laptop when told to and - what? You accept defeat, walk away and the child's life goes on as normal?

A lot of it IS down to parenting. Making your child do the things they don't like, for their own good, is essential. If you fail to do that, that's not great.

Mockolate · 25/02/2021 13:23

You can have some lunch and your PlayStation for an hour after you’ve finished x and y and shown me.Let’s go through that Maths paper together. Well done, that’s a beautiful piece of writing.
I know you think it isn’t important, but it is. Today this is your timetable. I’ll check in hourly. Which do you want to do first Geography or Art?

Grin These comments lol Are people actually serious? OP, I hear you Flowers I can only think people don't have teenagers, or have one that loves to sit and work and so therefore assume that all kids are exactly the same. I have had the exact same battle with my eldest teenager for the past few years. It's incredibly hard on the youngest teenager, who does actually do his work fine. Might grumble about it, but does get on with it, whether it's homework or doing stuff in lockdown. The eldest though. not One. Single. Thing works, you can put the work in front of him, "come back to check up in an hour", take away the PS4/wifi/whatever (which you can't do any more what with online home lessons etc and everything set on there!) Pre pandemic, lack of doing homework kept leading to being put in isolation and the teachers trying to get to do the work, even said they'd never seen anything like it. Short story - can you fuck as just go "which would you like to do first?" and come back with biscuits and fluffy stuff an hour later and they've done it all. You cannot force someone to work however much you try/cajole/withdraw things/act reasonably/rewards etc. It has to come from them.
AlmightyBob · 25/02/2021 13:29

I'm not sure what you're hoping to achieve with your posts @FredaFlintstone, but I'm fairly certain you're not helping. Still, if it makes you feel better about yourself to put others down, I think that says just as much about your character as your various successes as a parent.

I very much doubt that the OP immediately accepted defeat, walked away and her son's life has gone on as normal. You really don't know what's happening between them and understandably, the OP hasn't detailed every single thing she has said and done to try to turn this around. She's posted here to ask for advice and support. How about a little more empathy, and a little less of the big I am.

Myworldyourworld · 25/02/2021 13:35

@Lockdownbear

Op how are you today? Hows your son?
I'm ok thank you. Have been flicking through the thread a bit but not had time properly reply. I got to sleep just after 6am Was up by 10am. For them saying I don't get my arse out of bed.

Ds is OK hes started doing some work. He done some last night. And he's done about 90 mins today. He's just eating then he's doing some more.

OP posts:
AlmightyBob · 25/02/2021 13:36

My 13 year old has decided she can only work in the evenings. She fell really behind - a bit like a few others here, she'd been a good student at school and she hates being micromanaged by parentals, so I left her to it until I got a call from the school. Huge dramas, we were sympathetic, we sorted out a plan with her but that slowly went by the wayside. And then we came up with this compromise: as long as she gets most of the work done (most), she can do it when she wants. She's keeping quite unsociable hours at the moment but she's doing her work, and more importantly - she's talking to me, we're not at loggerheads every day. She has been really low and anxious, much like many kids at the moment, and my priority is her wellbeing. I expect Freda Flintstone would look down her nose at my family too but we're getting through this the best way we can.

FredaFlintstone · 25/02/2021 13:48

She has been really low and anxious, much like many kids at the moment, and my priority is her wellbeing. I expect Freda Flintstone would look down her nose at my family too but we're getting through this the best way we can

@AlmightyBob I've obviously touched a nerve. That's your issue, not mine.

I don't claim to be perfect at all. But if you think my opinion that parents should parent is looking down their nose at people there's not much I can do about that.

As I clearly said, my posts were directed at NT dc without SEN or MH issues. If your dd is struggling with her MH then obviously a different approach is needed.

The pandemic hadn't stopped kids misbehaving. Sometimes, failure to do work IS just a teenager being a shit and not because of wider issues, like it was with my oldest. People are using the current situation to excuse and not address a lot of misbehaviour imo under the guise of their 'wellbeing'. I wonder what type of teens will come out of it after a year or two of their parents allowing them to do whatever the hell they want.

RedToothBrush · 25/02/2021 14:00

I mean - how does that even work? Your child refuses to open a laptop when told to and - what? You accept defeat, walk away and the child's life goes on as normal?

A lot of it IS down to parenting. Making your child do the things they don't like, for their own good, is essential. If you fail to do that, that's not great

Unfortunately, like it or not, this is what it comes down to.

A 14 year old kid can throw their attitude and weight around and will do so. You still have to give boundaries and ultimatum and spell out consequences. Its your job.

Or you have to accept that the school are going to, and have a duty of care, to start asking questions / getting involved in ways that you potentially might not like or agree with. OP doesn't like this. OP thinks she can have it both ways.

Thats where I run out of patience. If you can't / won't do it, then authorities will step in if you don't step up in someway. If the kid thinks its ok for their parent to be fined there is obviously a problem here too with attitude. At this point compassion etc doesn't come into it.

The OP has said she doesn't get out of bed because of her other child so they all sleep late. Well thats fine to a point - provided you do actually do the work, but she is using that as an excuse. If schools were open, would that be acceptable? "Oh Im sorry Johnny was late for school because of his little brother not sleeping again". And certainly in the world of employment it wouldn't watch. Yes we are in lockdown and yes things are tough and things are different but that doesn't mean we can stay in bed. The OP is enabling this and saying this is ok and has, by her own admission, said this to the school. Wtf does anyone expect to happen? This isnt coming from the kid - this is the parent. How are the school supposed to interprete this as anything other than the parent being lazy? Parent manages to get the family up when school is open.

The conversation about 'agreeing to be flexible' seems to be the school wants child to get up, but parent doesn't want to so enables child to stay in bed so school agree to another approach but op says its not acceptable etc etc.

Then we get
If I do that he then says well how can I do my work with no Internet. If he says to the school I tried to do some work but mum turned the Internet off.

Its another "well i dont really like that option" rather than getting on with it.

It reads as soft, dismissive and can't be arsed.

I do get that there are plenty of parents genuinely struggling but this isn't one.

This is a parent enabling, then denying they are enabling, a kid who is being difficult. Parents need to lead by example. That means getting your own arse out of bed on time rather than starting negotiations with the school about it on behalf of your child.

RedToothBrush · 25/02/2021 14:07

What gets me here is having seen parents in my sons class complaining about registration at 9.30am because their 6 year old is struggling to get up for it and how unfair and unreasonable the school are being about it.

Then ten minutes later in an unconnected chat saying how their child is still up playing computer games at 11pm.

Lockdown absolutely is being used as justification by some parents. The idea its not is the one i find mind boogling.

Yes some kids are really struggling. There's also some kids and their parents who really are on a massive piss take and have a bad attitude. And its being led / enabled by the parents.

We need to acknowledge BOTH exist in order to deal with the issues this situation throws up.

AlmightyBob · 25/02/2021 14:12

@FredaFlintstone yes, you've touched a nerve, as I expect you meant to.
If you're not goading with your posts, I'm not sure what you think you are doing. You're certainly not helping.

BettysButtons · 25/02/2021 14:14

Ds is OK hes started doing some work. He done some last night. And he's done about 90 mins today. He's just eating then he's doing some more.

That sounds really good! An hour or two a day is much better than nothing.
I honestly wouldn’t worry if he is doing some work.

No work at all is an entirely different matter!

Myworldyourworld · 25/02/2021 14:15

I have not read the thread properly yet as I have not had the chance. But will do later. But just wanted to say something. I got to sleep just before 6am this morning. And I was up by 10. What's happens when there is actual school? Well my special needs child is in a better /familiar routine. Meaning he is not so unsettled and sleeps that much better. It's not 100% good he will still wake but not to the extent it is now.

OP posts:
BettysButtons · 25/02/2021 14:20

The sleep thing... Yes, it has gone to pot.
Because I don’t have my hour commute and don’t have to wash my hair every day, pack a lunch etc. etc. I am going to bed late and waking up late. 9pm has turned into 12am for bed and 6am has turned into 8.30am.

We will get back into the routine here as I’m sure you will OP.

AlmightyBob · 25/02/2021 14:23

@RedToothBrush this isn't a general thread about parenting and home schooling in lockdown. This is a request for advice and support by one parent about her specific situation. We don't need to acknowledge that some parents are "on a massive piss take and have a bad attitude" because there's no suggestion that's happening here.

Notonthestairs · 25/02/2021 14:24

@Myworldyourworld we've had a spell of being woken between 2-4 for a few nights, it peaked over half term. Fingers crossed that you get better rest tonight - do you have any help?

lifeturnsonadime · 25/02/2021 14:27

@RedToothBrush

parenting a 6 year old is very different from parenting a 14 year old.

BettysButtons · 25/02/2021 14:29

[quote AlmightyBob]**@RedToothBrush* this isn't a general thread about parenting and home schooling in lockdown. This is a request for advice and support by one parent about her specific situation. We don't need* to acknowledge that some parents are "on a massive piss take and have a bad attitude" because there's no suggestion that's happening here.[/quote]
We are assuming that the OP isn’t allowing her DS to do what the hell he likes and stay up until 4am on his XBOX but we don’t know the family.
Red’s post is relevant to the discussion.

Myworldyourworld · 25/02/2021 14:33

@BettysButtons

Ds is OK hes started doing some work. He done some last night. And he's done about 90 mins today. He's just eating then he's doing some more.

That sounds really good! An hour or two a day is much better than nothing.
I honestly wouldn’t worry if he is doing some work.

No work at all is an entirely different matter!

Yes it's something. He did seem pretty motivated couple of hours ago. But then he started loosing motivation. He said he wants to stop at 3. So I told him to go till 3.30. Then he can stop for a couple of hours or so. Then he needs to di some more . We only have till tomorrow to show school welfare hes doing work. Hopefully there won't be another lock down. But im going to ask if that was to happen if they would let him into school under vulnerable child.
OP posts:
RedToothBrush · 25/02/2021 14:33

What happens on the 1st day back of school when the other child still isn't sleeping and the OP doesn't go to bed until 6am?

Does she and the 14 year old still sleep in?

This is the relevant question which everything else hinges on.

BettysButtons · 25/02/2021 14:34

The pandemic hadn't stopped kids misbehaving. Sometimes, failure to do work IS just a teenager being a shit and not because of wider issues, like it was with my oldest. People are using the current situation to excuse and not address a lot of misbehaviour imo under the guise of their 'wellbeing'. I wonder what type of teens will come out of it after a year or two of their parents allowing them to do whatever the hell they want.

You are right to point out that some teenagers just don’t ‘do’ school work. In or out of school. Some children never did homework pre-covid. Some children didn’t work in class pre-covid. These children still exist!