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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Homework at half term!

47 replies

yummumto3girls · 13/02/2013 09:22

AIBU to think half term is a time to rest, play, recharge and have fun not to do homework. My DD is 8, so not even secondary. The teacher has been off sick for weeks, back this week and last night DD brings home homework to do a huge recycling project to be in in the first Monday after half term. We are on holiday for half term! (Ours break up friday15th) Have spoken to teacher and she got arsey and said don't do it then! I'm not the sort of person to 'not do it' so will muddle something together with her over the next few days instead of packing to go away!!! AIBU to be annoyed?

OP posts:
Eebahgum · 13/02/2013 09:30

I try to offer 'optional' homework for during school holidays. I agree that children should have more exciting things to do & you certainly shouldn't need to fit it around your family holiday. But some parents complain that their children have 'nothing to do' during school holidays & like to have a project of some kind of they can spend rainy days on.

Original poster
yummumto3girls · 13/02/2013 09:43

I suppose I could consider it optional as the teacher said don't do it then! But I wouldn't want my DD to miss out! I just feel like I could see the end of term (3 DD's) and looking forward to that sigh if relief and then along comes a swerve ball!!

OP posts:
aldiwhore · 13/02/2013 09:47

I do something on the theme if I haven't time (or the interest) to do the complete set work...

I've discussed with the appropriate teachers and the Headteacher. It was stalemate really, but with mutual respect. They know to speak to me rather than blame my eldest if he doesn't do his homework (he loves homework!).

Sometimes there really are better things to do. Usually in the holidays, if it's not easily portable, it won't get done. So building a giant from the recycling is out (we do this kind of things anyway, so my son isn't missing out).

Saski · 13/02/2013 09:50

I think a bit of homework is a good thing. A week is a really long time for kids, an hour of homework still allows them a huge amount of free time to recharge.

janji · 13/02/2013 10:15

I hate it when my dc get homework over the holidays. I want them to relax! As a teacher myself I think it's unnecessary and more often than not ends up being a chore for both parents and children. 'Project' style homework is lazy teaching IMHO; no thought given to it by teacher leaving all of the work placed on the shoulders of the parents.

derektheladyhamster · 13/02/2013 10:17

I love the fact that my son's primary (and more importantly my eldest's boarding school) do not set homework over the holidays.

Rhiannon86 · 13/02/2013 10:19

This reply has been deleted

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phoenixrose314 · 13/02/2013 10:28

As a teacher, in my school we are expected to set homework - generally speaking it is a school policy and not down to the individual teacher. Army school, when children fill in their admissions pack it includes something called a Home-School Agreement which means parents agree to do all they can outside school to support learning. I.e Homework.

I don't expect all my children to do what is set - but I do get it in the neck from my line manager if loads of them don't bother. Not fair really but hey we seem to live in a culture where people can blame teachers for pretty much everything.

Having said all this, if a child was away for the whole of half term I would definitely not expect an entire project from them.

phoenixrose314 · 13/02/2013 10:30

At my school, sorry - bloody iPhone!

bigbadbarry · 13/02/2013 10:31

YANBU - we always get a massive project to do over the holidays (and sometimes over the weekend: my 8 year old spent 2 1/2 hours on hers last weekend)

freddiefrog · 13/02/2013 10:35

I think some homework is ok, our school usually sends home a fun little project for them that shouldn't take any more than an hour to complete

My eldest is in year 6 and doing her SATs in May, school are putting them under a lot of pressure and the homework they're expecting is ridiculous - pages and pages of old SATs tests every night and every holiday - we're away for most of half term and DD is already stressing about it and they haven't even broken up yet.

Mawgatron · 13/02/2013 18:52

I'm a teacher and we get flack either way. If we don't set it, we are criticised for not stretching children. If we do set it, they either don't do it, or we aren't supported by parents.
I do work in an upper school though, so mine tend to be less keen than younger students.
I don't think they should be set extra large home works just because it is the holidays though!

BrigitBigKnickers · 13/02/2013 18:57

I never set homework for the holidays- the only thing I expect my pupils to do is read to an adult a minimum of twice over the week (for a team point reward.)

Smartiepants79 · 13/02/2013 19:02

I'm a primary teacher too and you are damned if you do and damned if you don't.
Project homework is some of the most valuable in my opinion (lazy teaching?!) it does put more onus on parental interaction Shock but what is wrong with that.
Something that requires creativity and independent thought is a damn sight more useful than a handful of worksheets!

bluer · 13/02/2013 19:07

I think it is the school leadership you need to take it up with...it won't be the teacher...we're told we must set work etc. I'd rather not over hols but I'd get into trouble myself

Saski · 13/02/2013 19:08

As a parent who quite enjoys getting stuck in with the math/english/science homework, I'm not crazy about the projects. Inevitably we wind up having to go to B&Q or similar. I wish the teachers assigned projects that could be 100% executed by the kids.

PomBearWithAnOFRS · 13/02/2013 19:40

My lot do it if they want to, and for big projects, if they can do it with a minimum of input from me. If they can't do it, then it doesn't get done.
Nuke me, shoot me, flame me, but I could just about care less if I tried about homework in infants and junior school.
Once they get to seniors, and into exam years, it matters, but for little ones, it's bollocks Grin

ilovesooty · 13/02/2013 19:45

Why is it relevant that the teacher has been off sick?

porridgewithalmondmilk · 13/02/2013 20:00

Was she arsey though? If a kid or parent says to me there's a problem with doing homework, I say the same - if you can't do it, don't do it Grin

madbutnotbad · 13/02/2013 20:03

My dd's school gives out a homework pack at the beginning of each half term tobe handed in jjust before the holidays. It usually has some stuff for her to do herself and a choice of project to do with me or her dad. I would not be happy if they changed it to giving out homework for the holidays

TheFallenNinja · 13/02/2013 20:07

Don't complain, get him sorting your bins :-)

pointythings · 13/02/2013 20:07

I hate holiday homework, and if it's in the least optional I won't make my DDs do it. When I grew up, we did not get homework in primary at all, we got no homework over the holidays beyond what we would normally have had if there had been no holiday, and we got nothing at all in the summer holidays. Not even into A level year. And guess what? We all did fine.

Why, if standards are slipping and exams all dumbing down, do our children suddenly need all this homework? Are they getting stupider? I think the problem is with the culture of league tables and helicopter parenting. Don't fetishise childhood? I say don't fetishise homework.

DD1 sis SATs last year and we got given a pile of worksheets to do over the Easter holidays, to the tune of an hour a day. We recycled the lot.

freddiefrog · 13/02/2013 20:13

If a kid or parent says to me there's a problem with doing homework, I say the same - if you can't do it, don't do it

Our school's party line is if you can't do it, you can't do it, but my eldest's teacher makes them stay in at lunchtimes until it's done.

DD1 went on a winter camp with Scouts, DH picked her up from school on the Friday, brought her home, she got changed and they left. Didn't get home until 8pm on the Sunday night, absolutely exhausted so she had a bath and went straight to bed. Cue, massive panic from DD on the Monday AM she hadn't done homework so I went in and spoke to her teacher and said we'd do it that evening. No problem said her teacher, then as soon as I left told DD she'd have to stay in at lunchtime until it was done

We're away for most of half term, DD'll do some of the SATs sheets they send home, but she's already panicking about not having time to do it all

PeachActiviaMinge · 13/02/2013 20:14

Is it wrong that I'm actually jealous of you all with homework to do? The most homework DD (10 year 5 but doing year 6 mathmatics and literacy) has been set is some spellings to learn! I don't actually think they get proper homework to do at all while in this school.

BackforGood · 13/02/2013 20:15

PhoenixRose
when children fill in their admissions pack it includes something called a Home-School Agreement which means parents agree to do all they can outside school to support learning. I.e Homework.

I'd disagree that doing "all you can outside school to support learning" means homework. I support my dcs to do all sorts of learning, through cubs (at that age), swimming lessons, Junior Church, holidays, day trips, cooking, etc.,etc.,etc., I don't / didn't make them do schoolwork in holiday time (GCSE revision excepted).

Agree with Porridge - if you've been told you don't have to do it, then don't do it. I wouldn't be anyway, without going to seek permission.