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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Holiday homework

113 replies

faverolles · 21/10/2011 09:49

DC's break up today for their half term break. Last night they showed me the homework they've been set. It's very labour intensive and, if done properly, will take up quite a chunk of their time.

I am really pissed off about this.
DH has taken this week off - his first break in months. He is knackered. We're all knackered. The last thing any of us needs is to have to put loads of energy into school work, when it's the dc's break from school, and dh's much needed break from work.

During term time, we are behind the dc 100%, they do everything they need to do, we don't take them out of school in term time, we are responsible parents who care about our dc's education.

AIBU to think that during their holiday, they should be able to have a complete break from school? They have one week off, surely they need some time without the pressures and demands of school life?

If anyone took time off work, and were given a "fun
project" Hmm to complete during that time, there would
be uproar.

OP posts:
GalaxyWeaver · 21/10/2011 09:51

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

backwardpossom · 21/10/2011 09:52

I think it depends on their age. I've given some of my seniors homework for the holidays but none of my juniors... In fairness, I've told them it's not due until the Thursday we get back (and we've had 2 weeks off - Scotland) so if they are away on holiday, they've got time.

TotemPole · 21/10/2011 09:53

YANBU, a holiday should be a holiday.

Original poster
faverolles · 21/10/2011 09:55

My oldest is 10, so no GCSE's coming up or anything. The youngest is 6.

OP posts:
paranoidandroidwreckmyownlife · 21/10/2011 09:55

Agree with you but DD1 (17, doing AS levels) is snowed under with work. Can only manage 1 day out with us as needs to play catch up with it all.Sad

backwardpossom · 21/10/2011 09:57

Well in that case, YANBU! I really feel for the kids being under so much pressure at such a young age. There's plenty time for that in their qualifications years...

DamselInDisarray · 21/10/2011 09:57

I hate holiday homework. Its always really time consuming and, frankly, a horrible idea. Who decided that school should extend into and start to take over the holidays? It's bad enough that it fills up the term-time evenings.

TotemPole · 21/10/2011 09:58

faverolles, set a time limit. 1 or 2 hours. What gets done is done and that's it.

Moodykat · 21/10/2011 09:59

I still can't get over the amount of homework my nephew has during term time. He's only 9 and has 2 hours doing homework most nights.

DrinkYourWeakLemonDrinkNow · 21/10/2011 10:06

YaNbu at all. Homework at this age in school or holiday time (although that's worseSad) is completely counter productive imo. My dts are 10 so we get double to wade through Hmm and their teacher is setting too much imo.

What really annoys me is that much of what comes home is to find this that or the other out but is not backed up or explored further in school. We are not supporting schoolwork; we are teaching stuff from scratch. I will be saying something at parents evening. Not that it will make a scrap of difference.

slightlymad72 · 21/10/2011 10:07

DS2 has been set holiday 'homework', i say 'homework' because actually it is a competition, each class has been set the task of designing a futuristic classroom, the designs are then sent off to whoever is running the competition then judged against thousands of other entries from other schools, they have a chance of winning 10 laptops for the school.

No doubt my DS will have a panic next weekend because he hasn't done it, but at 9 years of age i feel he shouldn't be made to work during his holidays and especially on something that is nothing to do with what he is learning in school.

YANBU

Original poster
faverolles · 21/10/2011 10:10

To be fair, they don't get nearly that amount Moodykat.
They have spellings to do every night, and reading, then proper set homework at the weekend.

But I was really looking forward to a break from the rat race, and for them to have a week without having to think about school.
I'd like them to go into the next term (which is always monumentally busy and draining) bright eyed and bushy tailed (or as near to that as they can!). I feel that having this homework hanging over them (and it's not something they can sit down, get it done and then forget about) will put a dampener on the week.

OP posts:
Trills · 21/10/2011 10:11

How old are they?

NinkyNonker · 21/10/2011 10:14

I agree. But look at the threads where people complain about the length/frequency of hols...one main complaint is that the kids forget everything etc etc.

Original poster
faverolles · 21/10/2011 10:15

10, 9 and 6.
We have an 8 mo baby too. (not that that has anything to do with it!)

OP posts:
spottypancake · 21/10/2011 10:15

It does sound excessive.

My general attitude with school stuff is that I tell my DCs that what their teachers say must be complied with. For this reason, I would perhaps speak to the teacher(s) about it to see if you can do a scaled down version/some sort of compromise. I would not decide to simply not do it without exploring a compromise.

Trills · 21/10/2011 10:16

Primary school homework is not important.

Trills · 21/10/2011 10:16

(I am basing that on nothing at all btw)

redskyatnight · 21/10/2011 10:17

YANBU. I was so looking forward to a week with no homework ... only to discover that DS is still expected to do the usual reading (well we would read anyway, but not a school book), spelling, tables + other piece of weekly homework. And he gets stickers on his chart for doing it, and in trouble if he doesn't, so basically we are stuck with it ...

Hullygully · 21/10/2011 10:20

Mine get this. I set aside say two mornings where there is intensive all guns blazing work and the rest is free time. The dc don't do any, however.

Original poster
faverolles · 21/10/2011 10:21

Ninky - I do agree with that, and I would be happy to see a shorter summer holiday. Actually, the homework they have been set, if it had been set over the summer holidays, I would be more than happy, as the holiday is long enough not to be impacted by a project this size, and it might help some way to stop them forgetting stuff over those few weeks.
One week though, that they really need to catch up on themselves, to have a proper break from the daily grind, is not so long that information will slip out of their minds!

OP posts:
Original poster
faverolles · 21/10/2011 10:23

Spotty, we will do the bare minimum required for the homework, but no more. I'm not a rule breaker, and don't want to get the dc into any trouble.
I will be having a word for future holidays though.

OP posts:
DrinkYourWeakLemonDrinkNow · 21/10/2011 10:24

Could you bash through it at high speed and helpWink a lot.

I realise to some this will be an appalling suggestion but I've done it and with no qualms on occasions when the homework has been unreasonable.

alison222 · 21/10/2011 10:24

mine have homework too. I feel it is unreasonable to do over the holidays but it doesn't have to be in until the Thursday after half term so suspect it will get left til then and rushed....., Its a project for a competition to tell a "story" about somwehere in the local area that people coming from the olympics would want to go and visit.

We have family over the whole of the half term so I feel AGHHH at having to get it done otherwise they will get time out ( no playtime) for not doing it and have to do it anyway. The DC's re 8 and 10 and they have the same thing to do.

Carrotsandcelery · 21/10/2011 10:25

faverolles is it something that will be followed up in the class during the next term or is it just busy work to fill up time? You are not obliged to make them do homework. At their age it is not related to exam performance. I would be very tempted to write a friendly note to their class teacher explaining what you have explained to us. This time belongs to you and your family, not the school, and they can't dictate how it is spent.