Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
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:
BOOareHaunting · 21/10/2011 18:20

YANBU and actually DS (yr 3) hasn't any homework other than his usual spellings/ reading to do over the holidays.

The school do sanction though if homework set isn't done - is this not normal for Primary aged children? My DS always does his but his complete disorganisation means it's often not handed in on the day it should be (yes a headache for the teacher I agree!) but she has now agreed not to sanction him as he completes it and remind him to hand it in.

Sometimes I find 1 rule fit's all re homework just doesn't work.

OhYouBadBadGhostie · 21/10/2011 18:22

yanbu.
dds school is famed for giving out lots of homework but this week they've not given out extra. shes kept on top of it it means that she can have a real break over the coming week.
(very relieved as she is year 7 so we had no idea if there would be homework or not.)

minimisschief · 21/10/2011 18:23

i remember being given an insane amount of work for summer holidays in each subject all through secondary. i never did it because after my first summer holiday was taken up by the work it pissed me off.

The teachers gave you so much work just because you had more time to do it. i think homework itself is unnecessary and it aided me in nothing but eating away my childhood.

you wake up get ready for school, go to school, go home and do more work then sleep. it is depressing when you think about it.

wordfactory · 21/10/2011 18:42

I think project work that takes up oodles of time and has little benefit on school work is unfortuneate.

But surely twenty mins here and there to keep on top of things isn't arduous ?

Hulababy · 21/10/2011 18:44

I think if schools are going to set homework then they should follow their normal rules - so for primary school no more than 30 minutes a day, plus a bit of reading.

DD is 9y and in Y5 - she has some English revision to do and a bit of comprehension.

FabbyChic · 21/10/2011 18:46

If I were you I would do it myself so it was done quicker.

DrinkYourWeakLemonDrinkNow · 21/10/2011 18:50

I only heard about parents demanding homework on here because teachers post and explain that's what happens.

It amazes meShock. I don't think I know anyone in rl who would say that. Most people I know, at least in my hearing, seem veryHmm about it; although who knows what they actually say to the teacher in private.

I do wonder who (who??!) would go to a teacher and say 'More please, we def want more. Please do fill up our holidays, weekends and any time away from school with a nice weighty project (which I'll have to do)'Confused Maybe they think it'll ingratiate the teacher in some way, or perhaps they are super competetive about their dc's abilities.

As predicted today, mine too came home with another bagful of it from our delightful teacher. Quite honestly she barely looks at it before setting more and doesn't reinforce it up as part of classwork. This tells me it's all about quantity and control and not about quality of work or the childrens best interests.

ilovesooty · 21/10/2011 18:50

If I were you I would do it myself so it was done quicker

That would make it a totally pointless exercise.

In some schools the teachers might well be under pressure from the HT to set homework even if they'd rather not. There were quite a few occasions I preferred not to but my staff planner would come back from the HT after checking with "Why was hw not set on x date?" The checks were monitored against pupil planners too.

Hulababy · 21/10/2011 19:12

I work in an infant school and we set NO homework - that's all year round. So no homework during term time or in holiday time. We do ask parents to try and read with their children as often as they can. but even that isn't enforced.

The children still achieve well at the end of Y2 in SATs.

Hulababy · 21/10/2011 19:22

I disagree with those saying that holiday homework is important or necessary at primary age, to be honest I don't think it is needed in lower secondary either, especially over the half term holidays.

Children do need a break and to switch off for a while.

And what happens when children go on holiday, away from home? I don't take school work with me when I go away on holiday, so why should me DD?

exoticfruits · 21/10/2011 19:24

YANBU-nothing more to say.

Original poster
faverolles · 21/10/2011 19:34

Fabby Shock The very idea! As if I'd do something like that!

:o

DH has come home now, full of the joys of a week off, has looked at the homework and decided it'll be fun to do. So that's him on HW duty this week :)

OP posts:
Ragwort · 21/10/2011 19:40

Drink - I am one of those parents who asks for more homework Grin - I don't think it hurts my DS in the slightest - I would like him to do about 30 mins homework a day, I think it would help him to 'consolidate' what he learns at school and I am lucky in that I have the time and energy to help support him. He is 10 and will have to do homework at secondary school from next year so why not start now?

I really don't understand why 20 mins or so is such an ordeal? He spends much longer than that watching absolute c**p on TV and has plently of time for all the usual sports clubs, scouts, youth club, cycling, meeting friends, library, swimming, dossing around relaxing etc etc

GetOutMyPub · 21/10/2011 19:51

put simply - league tables

...hoop...jump...hoop...jump...hoop...jump...hoop...jump

2BoysTooLoud · 21/10/2011 19:56

3 hours a night home work at 13 ??!!! Bloody hell. Horrendous.
I am in my 40s and at my primary we never had home work. At secondary we did but even at A level I don't think 3 hours [unless I had been lazy and had to cram an essay in].
At present my year 2 ds has reading [encouraged not enforced] and just started weekly home work which takes about 15 minutes. No home work over hols- not even weekly one.

carriedababi · 21/10/2011 19:57

perhaps a universal ban on home work would be for the best,
its getting ridiculous

Takver · 21/10/2011 19:59

YANBU at all!!!

I hate hate hate these project things. Dd was coming home in yr 3 with 'write a project of 10 pages about subject X'. WTF is the point of that for a child who they knew perfectly well at that point couldn't write 3 coherent sentences in a row?

(And dd was certainly not the only child in the class in that situation - having talked with other parents, at least half her year had absolutely no hope of completing the task without so much parental input as to make it a farce. )

DownbytheRiverside · 21/10/2011 20:01

Hurrah!
I didn't set any homework for this half term, and am sure I did the right thing despite parental whinging. Told them to read and gave them a few links to explore and think about.

popadop · 21/10/2011 20:02

Ban homework

or

Keep school open til 4pm to complete the silly little exercises that are set.

carriedababi · 21/10/2011 20:03

great idea popadop.

stay open till 4 get it all done there.

goingmadinthecountry · 21/10/2011 20:27

I'm a tables in the car, correct all grammar type of mum. Also a teacher from time to time. Dd3 has to do her work for the Friday after they get back so just the same as normal.

If it doesn't get done, I just don't worry, but I know we do lots of fun learning stuff anyway. Dd1 is Y13 - wait till you get there! Already sat up with her till 3.30 one morning this week while she tried to reduce a word count on somecoursework without losing the sense of it!

PointyBlackHat · 21/10/2011 20:34

A school that sets teh amount of homework that frogs is describing is not a good school IMO opinion. This would tell me that the school has zero confidence in their ability to teach my child what they need to know during school hours. 3 hours a night is excessive except when prepping for AS or A-levels and even then I would question it unless in the immediate runup to exams.

I would be looking at changing schools immediately.

My DD1 is 10 and in Yr6, she has the usual homework she would normally have over a weekend and so will be doing it in the last weekend of the H/T break, as if it were any ordinary weekend. That's fine with me. Anything more would have been sent back with a note from me.

I worry about posters who want their DCs to do homework all the time, including during their holidays - are you as parents setting the example by taking work home and doing it when you are on annual leave? I really do hope you are...

Ragwort · 21/10/2011 20:49

Well Pointy yes, DH and I run our own business and so that has to be done 'as and when' it is necessary. We are off for week's holiday tomorrow but still have to take work to do - we don't have the luxury of ever 'switching off' from work mode. When I was employed I frequently took phone calls from work 'out of hours'.

Also like most mums parents I don't get a break from cooking, washing, shopping etc etc Grin.

Note - I don't want my DS to do homework all the time, just 20 minutes or so a day. Smile

PointyBlackHat · 21/10/2011 20:56

Ragwort but why? Your DS is a child - he should not yet have to have adult responsibilities. We can argue about all our need to have downtime, and about the choices we make - I've chosen a lower-paid job because it means that mostly my leave time is my own - though I will admit to taking work home on work day evenings if it is really needed and being OK with that.

But I would not expect my DDs to have to live that lifstyle, because I had a childhood free of that stuff (and turned out fine) and because I have the confidence in my ability and their school's to get them learning without all the extra graft. 20 minutes is OK-ish, though I would prefer the kind of homework setting DD1's school does and no homework over the summer holidays at all. Can we ate least agree that what frogs DD is being asked to do is frankly ridiculous - and then to hang the threat of a detention over her if it is not done, does this school not want children to have any holidays at all, ever?

2BoysTooLoud · 21/10/2011 21:00

I'm with you PointyBlackHat. Quite shocked at the amount of home work that is seen as acceptable on this thread.