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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to think that this is an unsuitable school project?

108 replies

loadofoldcobblers · 21/10/2013 12:28

I've NC for this because of the identifiable details.

DS usually gets a craft project every half term, to be done at home. The usual approach is that they do some drawings in class at the start of the half term, and then are asked to make it at home.

This time, they've been asked to make a shoe.

Now, there's nothing inherently wrong with this. I'm not currently undergoing shoe aversion therapy, and I didn't have a traumatic childhood experience involving a moccasin.

But... DS is only 5 years old (Y1)!

I could understand if he was in a high school design & technology class, where as part of a term project he was asked to make one. But in primary school?

It's not like they gave out pre-drawn templates for the children to colour in & cut out / stick. The parents are just left to work out how to make a shoe.

I we made one yesterday and I'm he's quite pleased with it, but it was such an involved process, and he was so bored by the end. I can't see that I could have made it much easier or quicker, unless he'd done a flip flop like the genius who got in first with that idea

It's parents evening today, so WIBU to mention to the teacher about the suitability of the project for the age group?

OP posts:

TEErickOrTEEreat · 21/10/2013 12:58

Thanks for the explanation PintofTea. I was afraid they expected us to actually interact with our children...

pianodoodle · 21/10/2013 12:58

I'd have cut the ankle off an old sock, stuffed it with newspaper and told them to paint it :)

DH would have gone on an intensive shoe making course.

redskyatnight · 21/10/2013 12:59

OP - I'm telling you how my DD would have done the homework (because I refuse to assist more than absolutely necessary). She would have scavenged through the kitchen cupboards for a box, and failing that would have cut out paper to shape as suggested by someone else above. Or maybe decorated an adult sock?

Once you get into the mindset of a shoe just being something that goes on your foot, it's really not that hard for a Y1 child to come up with something.

Sounds like your real issue may be competitive parenting. (which thankfully most parents at DC's school can't be bothered with).

Original poster

loadofoldcobblers · 21/10/2013 13:04

WetGrass I was sent a link by a friend after it was too late and I'd already spent the day making the bloody thing showing how to make pirate boots out of an old football sock and some coloured duck tape. Genius.

OP posts:

Original poster

loadofoldcobblers · 21/10/2013 13:13

redsky definitely not a competitive parent - I'd far rather he had a project that he could do without assistance so that I can sit down with a cup of tea let him be creative, but both DS & I took the same from the instructions - make a shoe. To him (& me) a painted sock is just that - a painted sock. Not a shoe.

OP posts:

SoupDragon · 21/10/2013 13:16

I'm not entirely sure what the problem with this is. DD had to design and make sandals in Y1. They were crap and obviously unwearable but they had to think about what they should look like and how to construct them.

They aren't expecting an exact replica of a Jimmy Choo.

SoupDragon · 21/10/2013 13:16

IIRC, they had a cardboard sole and pipe cleaners as the straps. And about 4 rolls of masking tape.

frogspoon · 21/10/2013 13:16

It does sound a little tricky for a 5 year old without much imagination. Although in saying that, when i was a similar age I made a foot out of clay, and painted it (and put a giant F on it, just so everyone was 100% sure that it was a foot). So a shoe wouldn't be much more tricky.

I would make one out of papier mache. Put an old sock on his foot, and cover with bits of old paper/newspaper/ magazines soaked in an adhesive e.g. watered down PVA. Fill up with lots of layers, after a few hours it will dry and harden enough to hold its shape when removed from his foot. Leave to harden properly overnight, and in the morning he can paint and customise it as he wishes. You could even punch some holes e.g. with a screwdriver and thread string through for laces.

sonlypuppyfat · 21/10/2013 13:18

I don't make mine do homework until they are in secondary, they never do it anyway its always the parents. I do read by the way.

SoupDragon · 21/10/2013 13:19

I can't help thinking that a 5 yr old sitting still long enough for papier mache to dry on his foot is less likely than a 5 yo making a shoe at all :)

Now, if you put it on the mother's foot so she had to sit down with her feet up for 2 hours that would be genius! :o

Fakebook · 21/10/2013 13:21

I think dd would have enjoyed something like that. She's always making shoes out of something. You could've used a litre carton of juice and made it into a space boot or something.

Mumsyblouse · 21/10/2013 13:22

I don't think a year 2 five year old can just put together an arts and crafts design project without a good amount of parental input. Mine used to have to design the item (draw it) and write about how they were going to make it- thereby ensuring that when they did actually come to try and make it, they wouldn't be able to as their design would be unrealistic. Plus you would then have to label it- again cue parent spelling out all the words, writing them down and getting child to copy them.

These projects require an enormous amount of parental facilitation, even if they do the final sticking a piece of sellotape on it to hold the edifice together.

frogspoon · 21/10/2013 13:24

soup, really?

I loved cating myself in papier mache when I was a kid.

Usually more ended up on me than the thing I was supposed to be coating!

frogspoon · 21/10/2013 13:24

*coating

Mumsyblouse · 21/10/2013 13:25

And- making a clay model still requires your parent to buy the clay, set up the clay making area, provide tools and help you clear up the mess afterwards, even supposing they have the ability to make a realistic looking clay shoe aged 5 (mine didn't).

Reading, yes. Maths reinforcement/times tables yes. Shoe-making tasks, no.

Thurlow · 21/10/2013 13:27

Does everyone do their child's homework for/with them? Is this something that's actually done? I thought you'd just sit 'em down at the table and make sure they were doing something for half an hour.

Seriously, I'm not at that stage yet, but while I want my kids to do well at school there's no way I am making papier mache towns and the like. Don't mean to be rude to people who do, just... surely kids homework is for kids to do?

WaitingForMe · 21/10/2013 13:27

My stepsons are 8 and 5. The eldest could do this without lots of assistance but not his younger brother. Their school reports suggest they are attaining the required standards for their ages in technology.

Original poster

loadofoldcobblers · 21/10/2013 13:32

I think the recurring theme here seems to be that some children would really enjoy it / go off and be creative etc. For the others, it's left to the parent to muster enthusiasm.

As it is, I think we came up with a design that involved as much of DS doing it as possible. He drew around his foot & cut out a template / I cut it out in thick cardboard; I drew a template for the top out of paper / he did the cutting, sticking & painting. And the gold, silver & red glitter paints that he chose give it a certain Elton John style...

OP posts:

WetGrass · 21/10/2013 13:34

I'm the other way. I hate worksheets - especially for littlies.

I have more than one DC, and it's hard to support 3 individual homeworks with fiddly instructions.

Open-ended homeworks - I just open it up to the kids as an activity - ie get then all to make a shoe.

The secret is to abandon any quality control. What they produce - you submit. Completely brazen out any looks - view it as character building for your child to defend their work .

0utnumbered · 21/10/2013 13:41

I don't think any type of project should be given where the children can't at least TRY to do it themselves! What's the point in giving the parents homework? When mine start school I will still be studying (to be a health visitor) and will have enough of my own homework lol!

My son is two and we do do things together such as making cakes - he can add the ingredients, stir the bowl and help to ice them, we also do drawing, colouring and imaginative play but if he had to do something he couldn't really have any useful input in he would just get bored.

YANBU

Bunnygotwhacked · 21/10/2013 13:43

At the old school parents of reception got asked to do a famous landmark model for their building module over the summer holiday. These models which were mostly parent made were then put up to decorate the library under the heading made by year one which did sound as if the models had been built by the children in class time rather than parents over the holidays.
The children never referred to the models again as far as i am aware we didn't do one and i never got asked about it so presumably ds wasn't missing out on some huge tie in with his school work or something would've been said. The children also never did craft like that in school all that year. It just seems like a way for a school to seem hands on and creative without any of the mess/fuss/supervision nightmare.
The next year it was space and the models came home with homework for ones to go with the space module they were doing

NotMeNotYouNotAnyone · 21/10/2013 13:49

YY to the recycling cupboard with thee!

My housemates and I once made a robot out recycling... Not exactly sure why as we were all in our 20s at the time but it was fun!

I've also had a fancy dress costume for a work event made out of recycling but revealing what it was would out me

GhostsInSnow · 21/10/2013 13:54

dead easy,

Draw around existing shoe on card.
Cut out
Glue ribbon/strip decorated paper across front

One flip flop.
It's only as difficult as you want to make it

JohnnyUtah · 21/10/2013 14:05

Always start any homework like this with "How are you going to make a (whatever)?". They always come up with something; if you insist on an actual proper model of the thing you are taking all the fun out of it. I think mine might have put laces onto a sock but Ihave no idea, we never got that one.

Original poster

loadofoldcobblers · 21/10/2013 14:07

ok, so opinion's split between those who cba cos xfactors on innit think it's too much for the little tyke, and those who would have me throw him a craft knife and tell him to be creative...

I concede that IABalittlebitU. I'll leave it this time, and see what we get asked to make next term and tell ExP that it's her turn to do it next time

OP posts:

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