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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think my child shouldn’t be given homework over the Christmas break....

92 replies

Dickorydockwhatthe · 31/12/2018 17:07

and every other single holiday period!!! He has 5 activities to complete and a book review he’s in years 6. He gets homework every week mainly bloody SATS papers to do and every holiday he has homework and notjust a little bit it’s normlally lots!! He often needs help with it too so it’s quite stressful at weekends when it’s your only time off to do chores and spend some family time and your having to goggle their homework. My year 9 hasn’t got any at all!!

OP posts:
Original poster
Dickorydockwhatthe · 31/12/2018 17:08

*you are

OP posts:
Bound · 31/12/2018 17:09

I’d just send a note in after the hols to say you’d refused to let him do the homework due to him needing a break and if they want to discuss it further they should call you.

SignOnTheWindow · 31/12/2018 17:12

What Bound said. I'm a teacher and I agree with you.

SoEasilyCaught · 31/12/2018 17:18

YANBU.
Holiday homework is a complete nuisance. Esp primary school. Teacher should schedule it into class time if it's important.
Holidays are for a rest, stepping off the school treadmill.

BringOnTheScience · 31/12/2018 17:21

They all need a break after the long autumn term.

Mind you, it doesn't stop. Y13 DC1 is straight into mocks for 1st week back so they're busy revising right now.

TidaQuel · 31/12/2018 17:22

Definitely YANBU - we are endlessly being told that our children should not miss school because there are xxx days of the year that they don’t attend and that be used for holidays and days out. And then, every single holiday we are set homework. And every single time I refuse to make my children do it and send a note to explain that they are on holiday. As we are faced with penalties if we holiday during school time, we will enjoy the holiday times we do have and spend quality time together.

Original poster
Dickorydockwhatthe · 31/12/2018 17:22

It’s really starting to wind me up the amount he gets but he’s so worried he will get into trouble if he doesn’t to it 😞. He’s stressed with sats as it is so he deserves a break like the rest of us xx

OP posts:
maskingtape · 31/12/2018 17:22

I'm a teacher. Half the parents in my class will be moaning there's homework set (reading and spellings) and half would be moaning if I hadn't set any!

ShartOfGold · 31/12/2018 17:24

@maskingtape yeah right would parents moan if you hadn't set any 🙄

maskingtape · 31/12/2018 17:27

Shart - I've been teaching a long time and I've had many parents complaining that I hadn't set homework over the holidays. One parent even complained I hadn't set any in the summer holidays when the child didn't even get into my class until September. She thought I should have set it on the transition day!

HaudYerWheeshtYaWeeBellend · 31/12/2018 17:27

I'm sending a note to the school advising my Y5 child would not be doing his SAT prep, as this is family time, they sent 10 work book home Hmm

Original poster
Dickorydockwhatthe · 31/12/2018 17:28

Yes but should they really be set homework over the Christmas holidays?? Could it not be optional or maybe just to focus on reading rather then a list of activities to comeplete. I also find it worrying that he often doesn’t understand or have clue about the homework!!

OP posts:
SillySallySingsSongs · 31/12/2018 17:29

yeah right would parents moan if you hadn't set any

Yeah they do.

HTH

SureIusedtobetaller · 31/12/2018 17:33

Half the parents love homework and want more. Half want less. Can’t win!
On the other hand I have yet to meet a teacher who thinks it’s useful Grin
The school probably has a policy about this so the teachers have to set it.

HaudYerWheeshtYaWeeBellend · 31/12/2018 17:36

tbh OP with it being his SAT years its understandable they are sending work home, they are not UR in this, however its your choice if he does it or not.

TeenTimesTwo · 31/12/2018 17:36

YANBU unless you picked the school because it has fantastic SATs results, without checking how it achieves those results.

ADastardlyThing · 31/12/2018 17:40

I've binned the DC's homework :)

CripsSandwiches · 31/12/2018 17:41

Mine had homework but it was a small amount they could do independently (and an additional optional reading challenge). This didn't bother me but what you're describing would.

Dimsumlosesum · 31/12/2018 17:41

Mines only 5 and he gets nightly reading, nightly spelling practise for the end of week spelling test, and weekend/holiday homework. He gets so stressed.

Satsumaeater · 31/12/2018 17:45

Holiday homework is ridiculous. You can't take time off in term-time so if they set homework in holidays when are the kids supposed to have a break? But last time this topic came up I was severely reprimanded as teachers only want our kids to learn and holiday homework is required for this (I disagree as you might have guessed especially if said homework is not marked).

And mocks can be before Christmas. Schools that set them in January are pretty mean. Luckily for us, ds had his in December. I had mine in November for both GCSEs and A levels.

It's not parents' choice if they do it or not. If the kids don't do it there will be sanctions of some kind - definitely at secondary (usually detention) and quite often at primary (missing breaktime).

Jellybeanduck · 31/12/2018 17:46

DS (year 6) got sent home with 35 pages of SATS prep to be done over the Christmas break- it worked out over 2 pages a day including Christmas Day! I have no problem with him being set homework, and I make sure he does his weekly (5 page) booklet, but that was way too much. I had him sit for an hour on the last day of school and do what he could in that time and that’s all he’ll be doing.

Icouldbehappy · 31/12/2018 17:47

I’m a teacher and I’d never set homework for the holidays or over the weekend. We all absolutely hate it; it takes so long to prepare it, differentiate it, distribute it, collect it, correct it.
We have to do it, though.
I once had a parent of a 6 year old phone me to complain that I wasn’t giving enough homework!!!!
I’ve always told my classes never to get stressed or worried about homework; just to leave it if they’re having difficulty and let me know the next day. It’s MY fault if they’re struggling with it!
And I always ask them if they’re ok with what I’ve given them and that it’s not too much. I try to minimise the amount of writing that they need to do.
I hate homework!!!

Namenic · 31/12/2018 17:48

Thoughtful homework with low volume but revision of concepts done in the term would be useful(spaced repetition). Probably useful for maths???

WhyDontYouComeOnOver · 31/12/2018 17:49

OP - I'm a teacher. Quick note saying you've been too busy having a break should be sufficient. Most of us hate giving homework too.

And yes, parents complain ALL the time if we don't set homework. Goodness me.

agapanthus1979 · 31/12/2018 17:51

Shart - we certainly do get complaints if we don't set homework.