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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think that ds's school shouldn't give projects over school holidays

180 replies

Glassofwineneeded · 21/12/2015 16:18

My ds 9 has a project to do over the Christmas holidays. 10 + pages are expected.
My thoughts are that school holidays should be for relaxing and not for doing massive projects in year 4!
As this is the Christmas holidays we have lots planned including 3 days spent with family and then my ds is going to his dad's. As well as other days out etc it makes it hard to find time to fit project work in and make a decent job of it.
He is currently working on it now when what I want to do is curl up on the sofa with him and watch a festive film!
So AIBU ?

OP posts:
goodnightdarthvader1 · 21/12/2015 16:21

Yes. Holidays can be used for relaxing once the educational aspect is done. He's 9, not 2.

Dipankrispaneven · 21/12/2015 16:22

I think you're going to need to get used to this. Comes year 10 onwards (or even earlier) he'll be having exams in early January so will have no choice but to work over the Christmas holidays. Maybe scale down your plans a bit?

YoungGirlGrowingOld · 21/12/2015 16:23

Yes, sorry but I think you are. 10 pages is not much over 2 plus weeks. Not all kids celebrate Christmas.

Holiday time is more enjoyable if you work hard in the run up to it ime. 9 is plenty old enough to learn this - work first, play when the work is done.

birdling · 21/12/2015 16:23

Definitely nbu. I'm a teacher, I wouldn't want my class using their Christmas holidays on a school project either. They should be resting and enjoying time with their families. What would happen if the project isn't done?

Enjolrass · 21/12/2015 16:24

Ds was given one. He is in reception.

He has to document what we have done over the holidays Confused

In any format. So I am putting all out photos on a cd.

Tbh I am in two minds wether to do even do that.

HPsauciness · 21/12/2015 16:25

No, YANBU, totally unacceptable, they only get two and a half weeks off and in Year 4 (so 8/9?) it should be proper time off.

We never bothered with summer holiday projects, like write about your holiday in your own time, presumably that's what they do the first day back!

I would let your teacher know you won't be doing it or if you do it, spend 2 x 20 min a week and then stop.

10 pages is just ridiculous, that's as much as they do in school or more over a two week period.

witsender · 21/12/2015 16:27

Yanbu, totally. Everyone needs switch off time.

Gileswithachainsaw · 21/12/2015 16:27

Yanbu.

10 pages

god the holidays are supposed to be time fi
for them to relax and reboot. not have projects hanging over their heads.

HPsauciness · 21/12/2015 16:27

Work first?!!!!!

He has been working all term.

Now it's a holiday. We never ever had to do extra work in holidays. My children work extra hard in holidays if necessary, like before SATS or before an entrance exam, but never ever 'just because'.

KaraokeQueenOfTheNorth · 21/12/2015 16:28

I don't like holiday homework either, I think if I am not allowed to take the children on holiday in term time, they cannot expect school stuff done in holiday time!

My child in reception has holiday homework. I'm highly unimpressed by this.

No, YANBU, OP. Holidays should be for just that, a holiday, a break. Kept school work to term time and holidays to holiday time, right?

Ragwort · 21/12/2015 16:29

Holidays should be for resting and enjoying time with their families Hmm - it is perfectly possible to do both - a 10 page holiday project is really not much - how many parents get two weeks off to just 'rest and relax' Grin.

I've been saying this for over 10 years on Mumsnet but I wish my DS was given a lot more homework in the holidays - he is so lazy and unmotivated and usually looks forward to going back to school.

But if you don't want your DS to do it then don't bother - I don't get all this angst over homework, are you all really having such a lovely, jolly, family time over the next two weeks that you can't squeeze in a bit of homework?

HildaFlorence · 21/12/2015 16:32

But Dipan it is at least 6 years until he is in year 10 , he has 2.5 years of primary school left for FGS .

I hate holiday homework for primary school children , the Xmas holidays are only 2 weeks with a big celebration in the middle , after a 14 week term they should be recharging their batteries and spending time with extended family and having fun

BlackeyedSusan · 21/12/2015 16:35

yanbu. kids are shattered. everyone has had their children crying wailing and tantrumming or sleeping and poorly for the last two weeks. it has been hell. how are they going to manage to recover in time for the new term, especially given there is a lot of family visiting going on at this time of year. (ex teacher)

theycallmemellojello · 21/12/2015 16:37

10 pages?? If it's an essay, YANBU! That's 5,000 words (typed)! I have never encountered a 9 year old having to write something that long.

HeartShapedBox · 21/12/2015 16:38

I'd send him back in January with a note stating the homework hasn't been done and why.

KayJBee · 21/12/2015 16:40

YANBU. I little bit of holiday homework I don't mind but 10 pages sounds excessive. My Yr4 had to learn a poem of their choice by heart this holiday. My Yr 2 has none.

I also dont think a Yr 4 child should 'get used to it' because of what they may or may not have to do in 6 years time. At our local secondary, they do their mock GCSEs the last week of December term so even they don't have to revise for exams over Christmas. Let kids be kids when they're still small. Unwind, relax and enjoy family time.

enderwoman · 21/12/2015 16:41

My y10 has no specific holiday homework. He has assignments due in early January but it's just normal homework.

My y5 child has none and that's what I expected to be honest. He's not gearing up for 11+ and many of the activities he'll be doing over the holidays will have learning incorporated. For example he's awesome at helping me work out how to wrap awkwardly shaped gifts which is the sort of problem he enjoys plus a life skill rolled into one.

In my opinion the Christmas holidays are about relaxing after a long term and refreshing himself for the next. If the project is about next term's topic I would watch a suitable movie about it on YouTube and write most of it myself to save him the embarrassment in January.

Original poster
Glassofwineneeded · 21/12/2015 16:43

Mixed responses. I also have a ds in year 9 and has a tiny bit of homework but no big projects. I actually expected him to have more.
It has also been ds's birthday so party and yet another family celebration (smile)
dipan scale down my plans? I don't think that's possible, I have to fit in my family while I have my children for half of the holidays. While we are not doing something morning noon and night we do have some lovely things planned and I want us all to enjoy them without having school work hanging over us.
Not doing the project would be frowned upon by ds's school.

OP posts:
CombineBananaFister · 21/12/2015 16:44

YANBU. I am sure not doing homework over the school holidays won't damage a childs future work ethic Hmm I do think children need some headspace and rest in the hols, it doesn't mean they don't learn anything or don't do anything interesting, just not curriculum based.

Is it something he needs to know for next term because they'll be focusing on it? if not I don't think I would do it If I had plans. You wouldn't be able to if you were actually going on holiday...in the holidays.... in the none-term time you are actually meant to

Whatevva · 21/12/2015 16:45

So that's a page a day with the other four days for research/Christmas.

Not much of a holiday for Y4.

MY DS would not have written one page. And our whole holiday would have been a living hell trying to get him to do it. People desperate for their children to spend their holidays doing homework can set their own or pay for a tutor to set it.

YANBU

987flowers · 21/12/2015 16:45

I hate holiday homework and think it is unacceptable in primary school. Children are under so much pressure now they need time off.

YouTheCat · 21/12/2015 16:46

YANBU

I'm a TA and no way would any of our children be expected to do anything more than a spot of reading over the Christmas holidays.

I don't see why a child of 8/9 should have to get used to it because it's what's expected when he's 14/15. That is a long way off.

TaliZorah · 21/12/2015 16:46

I agree with you OP, I think kids are pushed into academia far too young

Ragwort · 21/12/2015 16:46

pay for a tutor to set it - I do Grin.

Chattymummyhere · 21/12/2015 16:47

I don't think they should have homework in holidays. My ds has told me his homework is to read his banded book 3 times in the whole 2 weeks off which I think is fine.

However lots of children are away visiting family over Christmas how would they really fit in 10pages between everything going on at that age.