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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

AIBU to be a little annoyed at half term homework for a 5 year old?

68 replies

NoWayNoHow · 20/02/2013 11:09

I probably am, but I'm irritable and ill, so here goes.

DS (in reception) has come home with a half term project to be completed by Monday - craft activity, messy, time consuming, and something he pretty much hates doing.

He's 5yo FFS - is it REALLY too much to ask to just let him have a week off? It is a flaming holiday, after all - I really just don't see the need to give them extra stuff to do at this age. It's a frickin' paper mâché fish, for pity's sake. Why????

OP posts:

ilovepowerhoop · 20/02/2013 11:13

I'd be pretty peed off too. My 2 dont get homework at weekends or over the holidays

Nagoo · 20/02/2013 11:15

Just don't do it.

Mine didn't get any homework, but he'd probably like to make a papier mache fish, he's that kind of boy.

RhinestoneCowgirl · 20/02/2013 11:15

In reception (and in fact until much higher up primary school) I'd expect any holiday homework to be entirely optional.

I quite like doing craft activities, but papier mache if you're not in the mood is just messy.

Shanghaidiva · 20/02/2013 11:15

YANBU - what 5 year old needs homework?
I also hate this kind of activity and hated doing it with the kids at toddler group. Surely the point of school is that as a parent your days of playing with pva glue, newspaper and lolly sticks are finished.

Original poster

NoWayNoHow · 20/02/2013 11:16

It's not e first time either - over e Christmas holidays, they had to do a diary where we had to "encourage your children to draw pictures or write about their time with family over Christmas"

Took a bloody age to do because, funnily enough, as he'd only just turned 5, his writing isn't all that!!

OP posts:

HoHoHoNoYouDont · 20/02/2013 11:16

I love Papier Mache, I'll do it for him

CelticPixie · 20/02/2013 11:16

No I'd be pissed off as well. Why can't we just let kids be kids in this country? We push them far too hard. Any teachers care to explain why they seem to be so insistent on giving very young children homework these days? I didn't get any until I went up to Secondary School.

Original poster

NoWayNoHow · 20/02/2013 11:19

I totally agree Celtic - they're so tiny, what's the point of pushing em like this? They're already at school SO early compared with other countries. Although it does look like its not standard practice...

Will definitely bring it up at next parents' evening. Just feels wrong.

OP posts:

Osmiornica · 20/02/2013 11:21

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

redskyatnight · 20/02/2013 11:24

Don't do it. What will happen? The completion rate for this sort of homework at DD's school was always about 20%, so unless you go to a school full of particularly pushy parents you won't be the only one.

Original poster

NoWayNoHow · 20/02/2013 11:27

Redsky, I did think about not doing it, but I don't want my "stand against the system" to reflect badly on DS. I.e. I wouldn't want them to think it wasn't done because he refused, or was lazy about it.

OP posts:

CorruptWalnut · 20/02/2013 11:33

This is my little rant I've got going in in my head at the moment. My son is 6 and this is the homework he has been given (non optional):

Talented British Person Past or Present.

We would like you to find out about one famous talented British person for your homework and present what you have found out about them. You can choose how you want to present your findings but please make sure you can say who they are and what their talent is, be as creative as you can.

Here are some ideas;

Models - create a model/sculpture similar to a famous artist work.

Posters - create a poster with all the facts about your famous person.

Painting - recreate a talented British artist's work.

collage - create a collage with pictures showing the different things your person is famous for.

Newspaper article - write a report as though you have interviewed or seen your talented person and describe what they did.

Diary - write a diary entry as though you are the talented person describing what you do.

Have fun and a safe half term.

Key Stage One staff.

That's it and I find it a bit over the top to be honest. It takes me an hour and a half to get my very very reluctant son to do his weekly writing homework and he has no particular interest with arts and crafts (unless it's about Minecraft) so what the CRAP!!!!!!

SkinnybitchWannabe · 20/02/2013 11:33

My 10 and 7 year old ds are at the same school. Youngest got 2 sets of half term homework..10 year old got none.
He did his literacy but not the other pointless one.
I've always been against little kids getting homework...especially during school holidays.

Startail · 20/02/2013 11:35

Paper mâché plus 5yo either equals huge mess or HW for mummy once he's in bed.

DD1 might have done some, but DD2 would have been totally disinterested. Craft is not her forte.

SandStorm · 20/02/2013 11:35

With regard to why teachers set homework, it's one of the standards that needs to be met:

"set homework and plan other out of class activities to consolidate and extend the knowledge and understanding pupils have acquired"

page 8

Of course that doesn't mean you have to do it

GregBishopsBottomBitch · 20/02/2013 11:36

My DD also 5 has homework too, maths and spellings.

CorruptWalnut · 20/02/2013 11:40

The project I mentioned earlier is as well as his normal reading to complete (2-3 books given as it's half term), his writing and 2 online maths tasks.

LivingInAPinkBauble · 20/02/2013 11:40

From the other side of it-as a teacher I hate setting homework and spellings but if I miss a week, angry parents complain! Can't win. I put a time limit on and just say anything over is optional. Basically the ones with home support do it at home or at school at lunch (they are allowed to use ICT suite, library etc and are supervised), the ones with little home support don't bother. I hate it too!

Suttonmum1 · 20/02/2013 11:41

Why not do a large fish collage or painting instead? Much easier, less messy and he'll be able to do more of it himself. I hate doing papier mache too. Even getting a shoe box and making a fish tank with hanging down fish is easier than papier mache.

CorruptWalnut · 20/02/2013 11:42

I'm thinking a Damien Hurst piece, any advice where I can get a cow and formaldehyde? Even the supermarkets are struggling

sherzy · 20/02/2013 11:43

My 5 year old in reception only gets her reading book at weekends, we've had nothing more.

thebody · 20/02/2013 11:45

Homework is optional if you just say it is..

Ffs at 5 he should be outside doing stuff not sweating over a project.

Bollocks to that.

DrSeuss · 20/02/2013 11:47

Please don't blame the child's teacher. Where I work, management check that homework was assigned. I would be found wanting if I failed to set it. Your issue is with school policy, not the teacher.

FantasticDay · 20/02/2013 11:47

My six year old has a written comprehension excercise, a (admittedly small) maths project, online reading and comprehension, and a Famous Five book to read. Oh, and has to dress Teddy up as 'a famous person from literature' . Way too much! I think holidays should be holidays.

Owllady · 20/02/2013 11:48

every week we have to do an a3 sized peice of work ona topic
jolly phonics, follow new pages and new sounds
key word book, read and writing
reading books as well every night

I think it's too much for reception

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