I just don't want to do the kids' half term homework.

[GreeboIsMySpiritAnimal]

And it would be me doing it, to a large extent, because they've both been given "science experiments" that involve a lot of parental input and support.

The DC are in y3 and y5, and both do very well academically. We've never not done homework before - a fairly large chunk of our weekends are spent getting it done. We homeschooled throughout every lockdown and did all the work required of us. I just don't want to do this. I frankly can't be bothered, and don't see why we can't have just one week off without homework.

How bad would it be to just talk the topics through with them, but not produce anything to hand in? I'd let their teachers know it was a parental decision and not the DC's fault, as it's not something they could get on with independently.

DC’s never did homework in primary. After school, weekends and holidays are for sports, tv watching, playing with friends and generally doing nothing.
Ignore the homework and let them enjoy themselves.

Get some split pins off Amazon or somewhere, or maybe just some paper clips?
Buy some left handed scissors.
Let him do it himself.
You cutting it out for him is not going to bell his dexterity using scissors in future. That's why it's his homework not yours. You don't need cutting practice, he does.

Older one, most Y5 kids can do homework almost independently. Again, you're not meant to do it for them.

As you were, ladies, it got done hours ago. We then played several rounds of board games before I finally submitted to the inevitable and gave them their iPads!

Did you do it for them?

When DD was in primary I didn't do practical homework, if it was a build this or make this it didn't get done. Nothing ever came of it as a other homework was done.

Do the sink or float in the bath?

@Macademiamum

Did you do it for them?

No!!

Well, I supervised DD a bit to prevent flooding ("NO!!! Don't drop the tin of tomatoes in from a great height DD!"), but otherwise left her to it. Her presentation of her findings was cursory at best, but we agreed it was adequate for its purpose.

I helped DS search for a web page that had the names of the bones on it, then left him to label it himself. No cutting was attempted though.

We're such teachers pets when it comes to homework normally, so I'm sure we'll be let off for our half-hearted efforts.

Even my year 7 DS doesn’t get homework over the holidays. It’s just ridiculous to give it to primary school children, especially if it’s something that requires parental input. It’s supposed to be a break.

Well done for resisting the urge @GreeboIsMySpiritAnimal I can't bare doing maths homework with mine because I know the answer and they don't and I have no idea how I got the answer I just know.
I remember years ago being marked down for not showing my workings, some things never change!
It is so much easier to do for them than get them to do, but homework is meant to be about their ability not ours. Tempting though it is to construct an Eiffel Tower out of cereal boxes, or whatever, for them instead of spending two hours watching them glue their fingers together.

"I remember years ago being marked down for not showing my workings, some things never change!"

This is always happening to DS. He's a maths whizz, but apparently "I looked at the sum and knew the answer" is not sufficient "working out"!

Story of my life with maths! People always assume I must be wrong when I get the answer quickly, and after ages showing me how to work it out they come to... the same answer.
I'm not Matilda wormwood or Sheldon Cooper, but neither do I need to write everything down all the time and get a calculator out. It's frustrating when teachers don't understand that. However it's also what makes teaching my kids so hard!
If they get a wrong answer I have to grit my teeth or sit on my hands not to correct it, but I know their teacher needs to see their ability not mine 😂

Maybe I'm the only parent not doing their kids homework for them though?

Primary half term and holiday homework is IMO teachers’ revenge on parents, for bringing the little buggers into the world in the first place.

I have very non-fond memories of tracing and colouring in a blasted woodpecker for dd2’s ‘Birds’ project, after she’d gone to bed in tears over it, with back-to-school the next day.

I used to work in a library, where we knew at once what project the local primary had set for the holidays, because the first eagle-eyed, sharp elbowed mummies would be straight in, trying to grab every last book on Vikings, or whatever it was, off the shelves.

At least there must be a lot less of that now.

@GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat

I think some teachers forget that a lot of parents still have to work through the holidays and the children are in childcare. I'm a childminder and take them on lovely days out where they are still stimulated and we play games and bake and learn other things together. I can't do individual projects with them and the parents don't have time in the evenings. It's ridiculous.

Yes!!!

I would appeal to every teacher reading this to realise this!
In lockdown teachers used to ring and when I didn't answer left messages saying "you must be out". Nooooooo!!! I was working - permanently!

@GreeboIsMySpiritAnimal

Everything you say is really sensible, thank you.

I just feel guilty! I was the swotty kid who always did my homework, my two are the same - I don't want them to feel bad at not having anything to hand in.

Times have changed though, and now schools are ruining children's holidays by giving them homework. When we were at school we had far less homework.

Turn this around - you are actually rpioritising your children's wellbeing by refusing to do the bullshit homework.

I regularly ignored primary school homework. My kids did well in secondary, it made zero difference. School never did anything to punish my children for my parenting choices, I just used to email to say it was my view that it was better for them not to do it.