To think the summer holidays should be a break for children?

[shouldprobablyfeelguilty]

My child’s moving into year 1 in a few weeks and it’s dawned on me that we’ve done no ‘learning’ over the summer. She’s not bothered about reading so I haven’t pushed it... she does drawing but not really writing and certainly no maths.

I saw a mum at the park who told me her DD has started the Y1 curriculum over the summer so she’s had a good start. Am I a shit parent?

Do you treat the summer hols as a learning opportunity for DC or a break for them?

AIBU to have not done ‘learning’ with DC over the summer?

DC1. V enthusiastic, bought work books, ernestly encouraged daily reading etc. DC2 vaguely attempted reading challenge. DC3 trying to remember to get them to brush their teeth !!!

My daughter is the same age as yours. I’ve got her to do a few pages of reading and to practise her instruments every other day to every three days. She’s also hung out with her cousins, been on lots of day trips, had some swimming lessons and ridden a pony.

I have noticed a dip in her reading but I hope it’ll be back to where it was within a week or so of going back to school.

DS has done 2 maths apps over the holidays. Adding and subtracting games that he begged to have on his tablet because he thinks they're fun! He's read to me little most nights because that's when we usually do his school reading. He reads to me, then I read to him at bedtime. I think he sees it as part of the routine so it's just what we do. I haven't got the faintest idea what's on the year 1 curriculum which is what he'll be doing when he goes back.

Mine are a bit older.
We have read most days. 20 times tables are required to be answered correctly to get tablet time, and I've tried to ensure they pick up a pencil once a week (write a post card, draw a picture- but they wouldn't pick up a pencil if not told to).

When we had 13 week summer holidays, we did much more, but 6 weeks isnt long.

It's year 1!! this child is still a baby really - let them enjoy the summer while they still can. Encourage reading by all means, but no presure.

Yes she’s always had at least a bedtime story. I bought books for her in her book band Incase she wanted to over the summer but whenever it’s suggested she says no.

I didn’t so much mean pressure on me (although plenty of that too!) I meant pressure on kids.

We still read a chapter of ds book a night. I encourage him in the shops to look out prices, work out change etc read signposts while out and about. Baking so weighing, measuring, mixing. Various art and craft activities. Gardening, trips to parks and woods/beaches.

Loads of learning in a non obvious way

If she's been playing then she's been learning. Especially st the end of YR. I bet she's enjoying the break, there are huge expectations of them in school these days. 😥

My kids are older and each day the rule is before technology they have to do something creative or something active. You see the PE and Art lessons are the ones at school that get missed the most. That's been our only sort of rule or enforced activity. They've actually been really lovely and made some great art stuff.
Sorry if I've gone off on a tangent...

Let her be little as long as you can x

We have reading eggs and math seeds apps.

My kids (going into year 1 and year 3) had three weeks of absolutely nothing, then did the apps twice a week (takes 20 mins each time).

Then they get bedtime stories read to them.

Everything else is up to them. They can choose educational apps or read if they want to buy no pressure.

I’ve got 2dc at secondary school and one slightly younger. I’ve never done any learning with them over the summer. I made a half hearted suggestion of practicing musical instruments when they were looking a bit bored the other day and two of them did, but apart from that, completing one badge each for brownies/scouts/guides and a bit of reading, we haven’t done anything. Ds, loves to learn so he spends hours reading factual books, googling things that interest him and extending his knowledge (which was part of his scout badge) but I don’t really do any of this with him. I look interested at the relevant moments but that’s about it. They will be fine I’m sure. We’ve had some nice days out, done nothing at home, spent time with friends and generally just had a normal holiday. It’s been lovely.
Your friend is bonkers to be introducing the school curriculum to her child, the child will still have to learn it at school with their peers.

It’s far important to have fun and let them relax over the holidays. School is stress enough without having stressful holidays too!

We did daily reading, and writing words to describe drawings over the summer before year 1.

Mine are a similar age, we don't do anything formal but I try and make sure they don't 'forget' what they've learnt so far. We play monopoly, we write in the garden with chalk, we read treasure hunt clues. Learning doesn't have to be a chore.

I need the break more than they do. I live for the holidays and being able to forget about the formal stuff.

I’m also jealous of all the time school takes away from family life. I think it’s really important to learn the skills of living - cooking, cleaning, budgeting, planning, compromising, etc and it’s not easy to be consistent during term time.

And I really think being able to delve into your interests and stick at something for as long as you want is valuable, particularly if you have a nerdy kind of mind. The chopping and changing from one subject to the next in school can be really hard on some kids.

I used to be really jealous of my cousins summer holiday homework (In Italy they have a 3 month break with homework).
I'll get the DC some workbooks so they sonething to do when all their cousins are doing theirs!

Just let them have a break. Let them enjoy their childhood and summer. A bit of reading is fine. Reading should not be considered as "work".

Mine are going into Yr3 and Yr1. They have been to holiday club on the days I’ve been at work doing sports and crafts. We have done the summer reading challenge and their school has given them a reading bingo sheet. I haven’t made them do workbooks though and certainly haven’t started the yr3/yr1 curriculum though!

Mine are going in to Y1 too and I'm a primary teacher. I get them to make a holiday scrap book which we do most days but it isn't always writing. We also do lots of day trips and they have done a swim camp. I think it's good to do little bits but they need down time too!

Where did she get the Y1 curriculum from?

We keep up with reading as that's important, we do the summer reading challenge. But nothing else.

We aren't doing formal learning but I have made sure DD who is also going into year 1 has been reading to me regularly

I wish DS would read to me. He's about to start Year 1 and refuses to read anything. We have practiced his flash cards but nothing else. We have played Junior Monopoly though! I suppose that's better than nothing!

I also have no idea what the Year 1 curriculum is

I think children like learning. I think adults like learning. A break involving sitting around doing zilch would have driven mine to distraction. I don't think they need A level Chemistry lessons but life is about learning and six weeks of dullness would be very sad.
Learning through structured play, visits, theatre trips, exploring are all valuable.

DS is the same age. We've not done anything formal except he's read to me a few times from the ORT series about aliens that runs along side the Biff and Chip books. He also likes to read all sorts of books to himself in bed every night. I won't force it as don't want to put him off.

He's written postcards, we've looked at prices when shopping so he can now understand money signs, ditto for clocks. They've done gymnastics courses and coding/science clubs, plus lots of more casual outdoor activities, beach, sailing, cricket, football. He also likes to play in quite an educational way.

@BooseysMom don't worry, just keep reading to him, he will get more confident. Year 1 is a big year, my eldest really changed in y1.

We got a couple of cheap workbooks from B&M and they are great. Lots of different puzzles things with stickers too. Doesn't feel like learning.
We also did the library space challenge if you have one nearby. You just have to read six books and get stickers etc. It's good fun.

I never did any formal learning during the summer with my 2 dds. One of them likes to read for pleasure, the other doesn’t. They’re 18 and 15 now. They’ve both done very well so far. Not necessary IMO.