Reception teacher wants me to do homework!

[Janey01359]

This is my first post. My four year old brought home a book called home/school book
Inside, the teacher had written that he is settling in well but as she doesn’t see me (he gets the bus with his brothers) it would be nice to know how his evenings are? I think she is asking me to write in this every day. I’m actually a bit annoyed but am I being unreasonable? Evenings in my home are chaotic, by the time all my children are settled in bed all I want is to cuddle up on the sofa.

If you're that bothered why not ask the teacher instead of here....just a thought!

Honestly, she's clearly just trying to make contact. Have you met her?

It'll take you 5 minutes. Where is the issue?

@Soontobe60 - I am assuming it is a rural area/school bus and that is the norm where OP is

Is there really only person other than me concerned that a child who may potentially be just 49 months old is being taken home on a bus by his brothers?

My DS's school runs school buses for all the pupils who live more than 2 miles away. Put on the bus by a parent, met off the bus at the school by TAs. Put on the bus at sometime by TAs, met off the bus by their grownup. I think it's far better than having an extra 250ish sets of parents turning up at the school invariably by car, polluting the area and causing congestion.

I think it's a good idea. I felt very isolated from DS's school life when he went to yR as he was at the after school club until the end of every evening. He was the kind of child who wouldn't talk about school at all. Even asking him about what he ate for lunch had very minimal responses.

Our reading record looked quite empty. DS was simply too knackered to read most nights (unidentified SNs affected his ability to pick reading up). His teacher didn't know I read to him most nights as the record book wasn't really set up that way. There wasn't a way to pass on little fairly informal bits of information. I don't often have much to say to the teachers at the start/ end of the day, but the opportunity is there if needed. Anything I sent in was in blind trust.

I assume it is a school bus, or the brothers are teenagers.

I got taken to nursery age 3 on the school mini bus.

My daughter had a home/school diary. It works both ways - they send info - you send info. That way, everyone is up-to-date. I cannot grasp why tis would upset any parent.

Blimey from the reactions to a request from a childs first teacher Im so glad Im not a teacher. Such anti school venom.

I would be happy to write a sentence or 2 to convey the current mood if I didnt get to the school at all.
As it happens we walked to and from school and did most of our catching up then and I did manage to chat to the teachers while they waited for latecomer parents. Its a normal thing to do if parent and teacher both have a minute. Its communication and I wonder about some of the households that are so reticent to do the most basic things that might actually help their child settle in.

And BTW Grandma does come round often and does things with DC . Im sorry if that doesnt happen in your family but it does in ours and if DC have a later night because of out of school activities I'd let the teacher know. Big deal.

This is brilliant! I would be tempted to go completely overboard and write an entire diatribe about the minutiae of our evenings. Who ate what/who smacked who over the head with a tractor/who left the toilet seat up etc etc. 😂 That’ll teach her to be interested in your home life!

If you're that bothered why not ask the teacher instead of here....just a thought!

What's wrong with asking on here ? She obviously can't ask until tomorrow?

Kids get home, put out their slop tray, hose them down, chain them to their beds.
Drink bottle of Vodka, pass out.

I don't have anti school venom, far from it. I'm very supportive of the school. But I do home and school do school. I don't update the teacher on what goes on at home and similarly I don't expect her to tell me about what goes on in the classroom unless there is a problem.

Is there really only person other than me concerned that a child who may potentially be just 49 months old is being taken home on a bus by his brothers?

My child has went to school from age 4 on a school bus(not with siblings). What's the problem?

It's probably taken you longer to have written on Mumsnet than it would have to write in the book. Just write came home, played for a bit, had tea, watched tv, bed. No concerns. Or whatever his evening consisted of.

I think she has phrased it badly, but I don't think she actually wants a list of what he is doing in the evenings. It is meant as a way to communicate if he comes home and is upset about school, or worried about something or whatever, or just a way to hear back that he is settling in well and everything is okay.

"Evenings are busy! X talks happily about school. Thanks for all you do."

Job done.

49 months

My daughter has just started reception and has a home link book (all reception kids have its) it's just a communication book between parents and teacher, I haven't written anything in it yet as nothing much exciting has happened since she started school! The mornings are very manic with parents eating a quick chat with teacher so this is a way of writing a note to her but not having to wait around to actually speak to her

My dd is a school bus kid. I'd quite like a way to communicate with teacher like this.

Damned if you do, damned if you don’t. How many threads are there about lack of communication between home and school?

You don’t need to write an essay, just if there’s anything you think the teacher might benefit from knowing. Happy things, tricky things, any issues that arise.

She’ll write in it if there’s anything you need to know. Things like specific events at school. Small children aren’t always good at telling you stuff. I remember mi e never told me that she needed an outfit for the end of term production. A note from the teacher would have been useful.

4 year olds are not very good at communicating their concerns. So I would use this to put anything of concern e.g. Chloe was upset at being hit by Oliver today. Or Chloe is really enjoying learning to read at school. But I would not fill it in for the sake of it.

You'll have spent more time writing on mumsnet about it rather than just doing it, but it's your choice. If you cba and feel put out don't bother?

You should try for your child's benefit though. And you really shouldn't need reminded of that. Surely you want to establish an open, good relationship with teaching staff? I'd do it. It'll take all of 5 minutes.

Your child’s teacher is opening a line of communication between you and her as she doesn’t see you. It’s a positive thing maybe she does have concerns or maybe it just gives uoi both a way to communicate if need be as she doesn’t see you?

I’ve never heard of such young children being bussed in. Are you in the uk? I personally think a reception teacher needs to have rapport with parents and surely you want rapport with them! Leaving your 4 year old in the care of someone else for 5 hours a day and you don’t want contact. I find that weird.

@Flupibass of course it’s a “thing” in the UK!
Especially in rural areas. Perfectly normal/safe.