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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Original poster

why the f do they set "make a model" homework when they know it's the parents that end up having to do it!? grrrrr!!!

217 replies

RedOnHerHedd · 22/02/2016 10:22

Just that really!!!
Make a model of a

Why????
Just why???

They know the kids version will be a pile of crap, and they know that that one kids parent spends a grand on hobbycraft items and makes a scale version of the Taj Mahal.

And your kid's attempt is 2 yogurt pots and a butter carton glued to a box of coco pops.

Why don't they just tell your kids "ok, so your parents homework this weekend is to make a working model of the international space station, complete with the ability to self orbit around the globe".

Guess what I'll be doing tonight!?
Making a fucking model.
Yet again.

OP posts:
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9
theredjellybean · 22/02/2016 11:14

madamcroquette ...what an excellent post ...did oyu write it yourself or did an adult 'help' :)

superiorly you have nailed it...i work 6 days a week, half the week away from home, and i guess my over acheiving parent thing is my working mummy guilt, combined with a stupid sense that if i am working so hard to provide funds for the said school i want dd2 to take all advantages and actually be interested and enthusiastic about these projects.

ours have always been a whole half term to research and develop an idea around a subject ..say romans...and then produce a presentation and model or something .

my dd2 is lazy and so a lot of planning , pushing, effort goes into even getting it started...which i resent...

whatstheplanphil · 22/02/2016 11:15

I actually cheered when the half term homework was take a 'photo of nature', the worst one ever was in 2012 to build a model of the Olympic village, which were to be rated bronze, silver or gold!!!

Dancergirl · 22/02/2016 11:15

Can any teacher round here tell us what the educational value in these things is supposed to be?

Not a teacher but I imagine it's because of the 'fun' culture of education these days. Bloody hate all these themed weeks, dress up days and 'fun' in schools. Come on then let's hear the famous line - 'if they're having fun they're learning' Angry Bring back traditional dull lessons. Bah humbug.

Elendon · 22/02/2016 11:16

My two daughters once entered an Easter card competition. We searched through the recycling and I left them to it. An hour later after much chatting and a break with biccies and milk, the project was completed. I just loved both cards and they both won! I was told that it was very obvious the children made them, and that and the fact they were quite witty and colourful, got them the prize.

I agree witH others who say don't do it. Your child will love making something for themselves. so long as you factor in the clean up time after

TheScottishPlay · 22/02/2016 11:16

I've had similar accolades Peckforton. I share your joy.

Paintedhandprints · 22/02/2016 11:18

Oh. I think, when the time comes me and dh will be having an argument about who gets to make the model. Blush

Sarah715 · 22/02/2016 11:18

We had this over half term, but it was more generalised so they could do a piece of writing, or a poster, or a model depending on what we they enjoy.

Mine ended up doing a poster. I still had to help him with it though.

Just start them off, give them some detailed instructions and leave them to it.

0christmastree5 · 22/02/2016 11:19

Leave them to it. My wonderful dd just made her half term project ..... makes me chuck when I see it proudly awaiting its school debut. Complete with amusing spelling mistakes. It's theirs to complete attempt not yours.

RatOnnaStick · 22/02/2016 11:19

I do worry sometimes how my dyspraxic 5yr old will cope in years to come when the models get more complicated. (I know how he'll cope: he'll flatly refuse to attempt it and there will be some amount of cajoling by DH and me to get something cobbled together so he has something to show and not be embarrassed by his lack of ability with his hands)

Elendon · 22/02/2016 11:19

Smile at the Olympic village!

0christmastree5 · 22/02/2016 11:20

Chuckle .... Def not chuck, it's great a project !

BarbarianMum · 22/02/2016 11:20

I once won second prize in a primary school cake baking competition. I can remember being very puzzled as it was obvious that the cakes that won 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes were clearly not as good as the others - there was a chocolate fort fgs. Later my mum explained than we'd been chosen because our cakes were clearly decorated by 7 year olds. Grin

OP YABU - just let them do it.

Bookeatingboy · 22/02/2016 11:20

In my dts's year they have a project to complete relating to the terms topic.

If this is all about what the dc can come up with themselves then why have all winners in the 4 projects to date have clearly been constructed by an adult with minimal child input. The last one was a fully working robot that was shown in assembly. The dc father was proudly showing all the other dads in the playground.

I don't get sucked in although I facilitate with concept and practical support but ultimately it's the dc's work.

The bit that narks me is that if this is about getting the dc to complete the project with parental support then why oh why is the chosen winner always something that has clearly been done by the parents. What message to the school think this sends to the children.

Complete waste of time.

thecatfromjapan · 22/02/2016 11:21

On a serious note, model-making can allow children to demonstrate learning and even self-conducted research in a way that isn't writing-based. That's a valuable thing to do. Different children have different skills and it matters that children get to use, demonstrate and share those skills.

Because of SATs, there can be a damaging over-emphasis on literacy and numeracy skills at primary schools.

I was aghast at the hydro-electric power station model but I DID see that that was a really good way to explore what one was -far better than writing about it AND it would be great for the arty/mechanical children.

So, seriousness over, can we have more examples of preposterous modelling projects please? They are making me laugh on a rather grim day!Smile

MNHQ
LisaMumsnet · 22/02/2016 11:22

I am shaking with laughter at your post pekforton - as they say, it's never too late to have a happy (and in your case, award-winning!) childhood!

Catphrase · 22/02/2016 11:23

The prizes annoy me, mine try's so bloody hard but never wins, he does it himself with his ideas and he's always disappointed.
Why not drop the prizes and just have it as "make a woodland animal"

FranHastings · 22/02/2016 11:23

There is very little educational value one they're past a certain age and have learned how to join materials together, use tools etc.

They send the creative homework home because they're not doing it at school. Then they can display the work and pretend they're not doing writing, spag and Maths all day long.

Blatherskite · 22/02/2016 11:32

DS (8) had to make a Viking Longship over half term.

In my defence, I realised that I had over-helped and made him make another more on his own. He's taken both in this morning as he is very impressed with my ship but is under strict instructions to hand the other one in as his homework. The teacher isn't daft, she'll know which is which and he's excited about showing the other one to his class mates.

She does also know that DS can be incredibly hard to get involved with topics and I've apologised in the past about my level of involvement but when it's a choice between him doing nothing and doing some really good work with quite a lot a bit of help from me, she and I would rather go for option 2.

BarbarianMum · 22/02/2016 11:35
6cats3gingerkittens · 22/02/2016 11:35

What is "spag"?

wotoodoo · 22/02/2016 11:40

Oooh I love these projects! Shame they don't seem to do them past primary school. Ds did one making a concentration camp complete with makeshift barbed wire and spotlights which were little torches in the corners. I didn't help him but was amazed with what he created. It was for Fantastic Mr Fox Grin yabvu

ExasperatedAlmostAlways · 22/02/2016 11:42

I bloody hate it!!

My friends a teacher and she said although it's part of the curriculum that they make the model'. They DONT have to be set as homework and any half decent teacher realises it's the parents that end up having to do it and will do it in class instead of setting it as home work.

My eldest has had three models already this year! A rocket, a model of the planets and one to do with war, we done an evacuee suitcase and gas mask.

My youngest daughters done hers all in class, the last one being a musical instrument last week that can make two sound and be heard from ten paces away. We just had to provide the materials.

Both teachers are both in their first teaching year. I have a favourite 😂

twinkletoedelephant · 22/02/2016 11:44

When ds school do a make compertion they do a parent section winner as well anything judged to good to be made by the child in question goes into that category.

The sweetie cup prize for school fair xmas and summer is fiercely competitive amongst the mums and dads...

BarbarianMum · 22/02/2016 11:47
WonderingAspie · 22/02/2016 11:50

We had our first foray into model making this half term. It was part of a whole project worth points and the kids could choose whatever they wanted to make the points up. DS choose to do 2 models!

I have to say they look bloody brilliant! Grin I got involved with some guidance but DS did all the painting, drawing, sticking. I stuck down 2 awkward things. The other I made a lot of the basic bit (DS did some when he saw how i was doing it), showed DS a picture on Google and we placed it roughly according to the picture. Having seen the rest of the classes attempt at the second one, we are the only ones who have tried to copy the picture and I wonder if it looks a bit too well done!

Apparently it was overheard a teacher saying this homework was set to make parents get involved. I don't know if that's true but I know a lot of parents don't seem to get involved at our school.

The school regularly has competitions at Christmas and summer. It did make me laugh at the Christmas one when the most enormous model was brought in, (the size of a small adult) supposedly made by a year 1 and 2. It looked perfect, not a wonky sticker in sight. They didn't win and mum and DCs looked quite disgruntled. DD came 3rd because her attempt (with help from me but clearly looked like a child had done it) was duel purpose and they liked it. She was 4 and so chuffed. DS came 2nd in a model competition last year too. I helped again but it looked like a chuld had done it. Unfortunately on this occasion the winner was clearly done by the parent given it had a real circuit board on it and the mum was very embarrassed when she told me the dad had had a lot of input (he works with computers).

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