Not wild about DS's holiday homework. Not everyone gives a toss about the Olympics.

[solidgoldbrass]

School have asked parents to help their DC create a blog over the summer holidays; the school is very techno-happy (which is a Good Thing generally). They have made provision for DC whose families don't have a computer or internet access; suggesting either a visit to the library or making a paper diary in stead. That's all fine, DS would love doing a bit of that every day.

But it's got to be 'about the Olympics'. No one in our family gives a flying fuck about sport. DS is far more interested in trains than watching overpaid steroid-addled numpties hop about. DS dad might pontificate from time to time about important cultural events and all that shit, but he's only really interested in typesetting. And me, not only do I despise all competitive sport, but I also object to the corporate piggishness and the all-round inconvenience of having this crap all over my home town. Why the fuck couldn't they just have asked the kids to do a blog about what they get up to in the holidays?

Err this child is just finishing Y2! Asking a 7yo to do some research about mascots, or the downside of the Olympics means.... that the parent is doing the homework (ie the research) and the child is left doing a bit of writing.

If the learning objective of that is to write something a couple of times a week then it might be easier just let them write about their hols.
I suspect that what is expected is that most children will be stuck watch along side their parents the Olympics and will be able to write about so and so who won this or that.
Not for extensive research on the pros and cons of the Olympics to be done.
Or at least with a child in Y2.

Reread the op and it seems clear they create a blog by themselves.

Okay, YANBU about that, that's too much IMO. One or two contributions would be fine.

LadyinDisguise, the op did say they'd asked parents to help their child create a blog.

Don't all parents help their young children with research etc, just in a similar way to teachers helping them at school? They aren't at self-guided study level quite yet!

yabu to expect the teacher to inflict you and your husbands narrow tastes on everyone, most people are interested in at least one or two of the Olympic sporting events and the Olympics is the biggest and oldest sporting event in the world. (going since 776BC) Far more interesting than typesetting! Most would consider that weird and insanely boring. The teacher is trying to interest the majority of students and there is something in the Olympics for everybody, he could write about anything; the history, the corporate element, the transport issues, the events that interest him or his first impressions of ones he had never even heard of.

These athletes have spent years training to be the best in the world, I know you thing you sound clever by trying to belittle them as "overpaid steroid-addled numpties", you don't, you sound like someone who is bitter about never having been the best at anything and trying to put people down to hide feelings of inferiority.

You and your husband are projecting your opinions (which are most likely due to bad memories you have of being terrible at sport yourselves) onto your son, you don't know what he could be interested in or what he would be good at if he had the opportunity. He needs exposure for that. Stop imposing your bad attitudes on him and let him explore opportunities outside your preferences and comfort zone.

*think, this site needs an edit button!

Is it to get some interest going as they´ll be doing something about it when they go back?

Agree that homework over the holidays is NOT ON.

I know nothing about sport, and I'm not interested in it, particularly.

But, really, you must be pretty close-minded, to feel that you certainly can't and won't find anything of interest, to write about a huge event, and such a wide subject, such as the Olympics.

You have reminded me of Lynn Truss, Get Her Off The Pitch. I have that somewhere on a shelf, must read it sometime.

Often with tasks like this, if subject isn't given people go blank and don't even get started. I doubt the teacher will care much whether it's about the olympics or not. And I don't think it will make any difference to your DC's educational development if it is about something else instead. In fact, I bet he would be better served by either studying the olympics carefully regardless of whether he has any initial enthusiasm or writes a blog entry, or getting really into writing a blog about something he's already really interested in. Don't sweat it.

But I would suggest you spend some time listening to your son without trying to push your strongly held beliefs at him. Just to see if he does actually have a little bit of interest. He does have some influences outside of you and may have picked up a bit of curiosity from listening to friends at school etc. but feel he can't express that when you are so clearly anti-olympics. Not the end of the world if you don't though.

I would be careful actually as this sounds damaging. Sounds like no one's going to check or mark it and your kid will become demoralised after putting in a lot of effort.

The one time DD had a holiday project, there was no feedback whatsoever.

We spent ages (I had to help as she was Y1) she put so much effort in, didn't find out why they'd done it, wasn't in line with any other subjects they'd been doing.

Very strange, and yes she was a bit put out, as were other children/parents.

Not saying that would happen with OP's situation, just reminded me of our situation.

I really, really wouldn't do it, and if you do, I would tell your child beforehand that no one will mark it and no one at school will praise her for it, and so you're doing it for your own pleasure. I don't doubt this is the case.

" ...I have been explaining to him that it''s a big fuss about nothing and with any luck the squaddie carrying the big firelighter will fall in the river.'

Let him make his own mind up. He decided to watch it. Don't belittle his choices.

[sheesh]

I think some parents should start a "LESS HOMEWORK" CAMPAIGN your children are not owned by the school

There are plenty of children though who are glad to have something to do in the holidays, six weeks is a long time without any structure, and it is a good way to encourage a bit of educational stuff that can be fun, and that you can do with them.

I was a kid who enjoyed doing projects in the holidays. I wouldnt have been happy to spend the whole break working on something but an odd hour here or there is no hardship.

Maybe so but they should be told up front that it's only for their own pleasure and enjoyment because no one at school is going to care.

For me it isn't so much the topic, children can find something interesting in most topics, it is the expectation that you will be wanting them to be sitting by the computer doing work. When dd1 (end yr2) was given a plant and a diary at half term I politely refused and told them I wasn't going to take a plant on a 8-900 mile round camping trip. She wrote a journal of her holiday because we had already agreed that she wanted to.

We are going to be doing some similar this holiday, but because we want to not because we have to.

We have three lots of 'homework' over the summer - eldest will be entering yr3.

They have tried to pitch it to the DC level . The youngest two shouldn't take that long but oldest is a lot of research - TBH I have a lot line up to do with them anyway so not keen on whole thing.

As DH said when they go back the Olympics will be old news.

i don't see the need for all this fuck the bollocks and wank homework nonsense
it's possible to think holiday homework is unnecessary without sounding like a rioter

pissing myself fucking laughing...

Completely agree with you OP. I would be horrified.

Pick another subject or don't do it.

Summer holiday HW is out of order.

I think he can blog or not blog about what he likes.

DD is far more excited about being a brides maid than the Olympics and the only sport she likes is football and gymnastics. Her blog would grind to a total halt over swimming and silly people running in circles.

Ah well, it looks like we're going to get a blog entry subject anyway as it now looks likely that we will be dancing at some or other of the events, and that will interest all of us.

Oh, and whoever went 'waa, waa, it's been going for thousands of years' - don't be ridiculous. WHile the ancient Greeks may have enjoyed a bit of nude boy on boy wrestling back in the day, the 'Olympic Games' were reinvented by some farty Victorians who wanted to look at nude boy on boy wrestling and give it a respectable historical gloss, that's all.

I can't believe your ds is actually going to do the homework!!!

Homework in the primary school only came about in the first place because parents wanted it!

Think holiday homework at that age is unreasonable -reading this board think we get longer school hols in Ireland-9 or 10 weeks- but never any homework in hols-tho more during school term I think.
However think yabu re your miserable attitude to olympics to see young child tbh.