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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to not give my reception child homework over the summer holidays

88 replies

messybessie · 30/07/2011 09:02

I appear to be the minority.

I'm not completely lax, I have bought him a scrapbook and asked him to draw a picture everyday and he can write something if he wants to.

We've been to the library and joined their summer reading scheme.

But, most of my other friends seem to have devised daily maths work, phonics work, formal handwriting
practice, proper reading plans.

I'm being slightly made to feel like I'm the only one who is not a complete loon.

OP posts:

fuzzysnout · 30/07/2011 09:07

YANBU. Let the poor little chap enjoy his time at home with you. If they really are doing that & not just saying so in a competitve parenting type way then they are indeed loons. The clue is in the name: school holidays - relax and enjoy

eaglewings · 30/07/2011 09:08

It is the Summer HOLIDAY!
Go with what you are already doing and feel sorry for the other kids.
In France they don't start school til year one and soon catch up, so let kids be kids IMO

mumto2andnomore · 30/07/2011 09:10

Im a teacher and YANBU. Are your friends really all doing that much ? Sharing stories together is lovely,counting the stairs as you walk up them, playing I spy that sort of thing but not formal work !

HoneyPablo · 30/07/2011 09:11

YANBU
It's the holidays. Relax and let him chill. Every opportunity is a learning opportunity. It's not all about sitting down to learn with a worksheet and a pencil (thank god!).

FidgetPie · 30/07/2011 09:13

Your friends sound bonkers! (and overly competitive!)
Summer holidays (at any age) should be fun and involve lots of running about.
YANBU

lazylula · 30/07/2011 09:14

I am letting ds1 determine what 'work' he does. We have joined the library reading thing, he has chosen to read a couple of the books, he has done some handwriting practice (again his choice) and some number practice. We went to the zoo yesterday, chatted about the animals as we would any time, talk about sonds ect in the car but all his choice.

handsomeharry · 30/07/2011 09:15

Teacher here too. YANBU. I have never done any formal work with my DS over the holidays. When he was little he enjoyed being read to, helping with baking and gardening, going for days out.
It's a holiday.

Hope you enjoy it.

Mitmoo · 30/07/2011 09:21

Poor kids - I'd feel sorry for them. Enjoy your holiday OP.

StrandedBear · 30/07/2011 09:30

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Ismeyes · 30/07/2011 09:32

I think lazylula has a point. YANBU to think parental timetabled daily work is over the top, but don't always assume that children who do 'homework' are not choosing to.

I'm sure I will be accused of stealth boasting and pushy parenting because 'real' children want to be running around etc, but DD (5) chooses to do this kind of 'work' daily. Yesterday she used some of her birthday money to buy some maths books in sainsburys and spent a couple of hours doing them. She also writes story after story and reads books too.

I'm sure if I described this to anyone it would make me sound pushy, but I don't care because I'm not justifying my DD's choices of how to spend her time to anyone else.

follyfoot · 30/07/2011 09:35

Noooo, your friends sound quite bonkers. Formal handwriting practice

Enjoy your summer, it sounds wonderful.

handsomeharry · 30/07/2011 09:37

'real' children Ismeyes? What do you mean?

Acekicker · 30/07/2011 10:08

YANBU - DS school stop homework a couple of weeks before the end of term and I take this as a sign that we're done with homework for the Summer. The Reading Scheme is a great idea but tbh I wouldn't even push the 'picture a day' thing too much - there might be days where he just doesn't want to do that and I'd be fine with that.

On the other hand I'm possibly not the best advisor on this - DS school sent home a letter one time suggesting that simple card and dice games could help your child with maths. I cracked out some poker chips and we spent two hours at the kitchen table playing blackjack that weekend . In my defence another teacher (not at DS school) did say it was actually great maths practice as it includes counting on, subtraction, doubling, 'money' etc....

EdithWeston · 30/07/2011 10:14

Sounds insane!

FWIW: all I did with mine is ensure they keep reading (important, but done for fun), and do some writing (eg the odd postcard) and perhaps some incidental maths (shops, recipes). That's plenty.

The first (and only) time I did more was the summer before the 11+ (and even then it was a bit haphazard! But seemed more important to keep their brains ticking over). But even then - on 20-30 mins a day from workbooks when I remembered - it seemed rather an unfair imposition. And that's for a child twice as old as the ones in OP!

Marne · 30/07/2011 10:14

No homework here, just fun fun fun , holidays are ment to be fun.

Both my dd's (5 and 7) like to read before bed and do the odd bit of writting but they wont be sitting down to do hand writing practice.

EdithWeston · 30/07/2011 10:15

acekicker: the DSes once went to a play scheme where they were taught poker during a rainy day. Sone parents were a bit but I thought it was great!

Darts is a brilliant good game for mental maths.

Acekicker · 30/07/2011 10:23

Definitely EdithWeston! The best person I know at maths was the one who as a kid was out every weekend with his dad at the snooker or darts club, dogs, races etc. Subracting triple 17 from 146 is not easy to do in your head, nor is working out what you'll get if you back the winner each way for a fiver at 9/2!

Mrsdoasyouwouldbedoneby · 30/07/2011 14:01

The only reason I am doing a little reading is because both summer holidays DS has suffered from "summer lag", so what to help prevent it this time. DD is sat next to me voluntarily filling in a maths work book... unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately for me..) it doesn't involve ratio etc I'd never be able to work out betting systems. Anyway, she is sulking cos I have told her to give it a rest. DS spends MOST of his time creating stories (he plans to sell them apparently...).

nenevomito · 30/07/2011 14:10

My DC are doing work over the summer, but only cos the person looking after them is a teacher . Plenty of play and fun, but DS's reading has got further in the last two weeks then it did in the last two terms!

There's a lot of time to fill in the summer hols. Why not do some 'homework' type things as well as the rest?

mangomousse · 30/07/2011 14:15

You are the one doing it right in my opinion. There's loads or ways you can keep him "ticking over" without doing formal work. We counted cars, played games, weighed out ingredients for cooking, counted stairs, played the abc game all sorts of informal easy going things but very little that involved sitting down at a table with a worksheet.

Are you sure that your friends are actually doing these things or are they just talking about it to make themselves feel better!!

Enjoy your DS being a child and let him do what children do best - play!!!

Sirzy · 30/07/2011 14:18

You are doing things to keep his brain ticking over but without forcing learning - perfect IMO!

everlong · 30/07/2011 14:28

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

forehead · 30/07/2011 14:36

Well, i am going to be fLamed< forehead awaits flaming>
I have devised a daily timetable for my three dc's.
For me it is not about competing against others, it is about ensuring that my dc's continue to have some structure during the holidays.
I did the same last year and used the opportunity to fine tune their basic maths, Literacy etc.
There is loads of time for them to play, watch tv , FIGHT, play video games , visit family and friends. At the moment, my dc's are at the park with my dh.
Mt dc's are very confident academically,and i believe that it is due to the help i give tham during the holidays and throughout the year. If that makes me a 'pushy mum' so be it.

Littlefish · 30/07/2011 15:30

I'm a teacher and I'm doing absolutely nothing academic with dd during the holidays. I'm aghast at those parents doing daily literacy or numeracy with their children (unless it is completely the child's own choice).

Poweredbypepsi · 30/07/2011 15:43

today my 6 and 4 year old have been in the garden and playing with a playmobil palace, I have been lying in a heap with a sick bowl. Apart from the sick bowl this is a normal holiday day. We read, if they ask to read, they draw if they ask to draw (two year old is a budding artist i just wish she would keep it on the paper). I am not a teacher i have no desire to turn my home into a school and they are called holidays for a reason!

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