To think primary homework is getting out of hand

[BeanBag7]

Speaking to a friend today with a primary aged child. They have been asked, for homework, to make a space themed cake and bring it in.
AIBU to think this is lovely if you have parents with the time, money and inclination to do this sort of thing, but for many parents would be a nightmare? Surely there must be many children whose parents simply can't afford to buy the extra ingredients to make and decorate a cake for homework, or who work 2 jobs and don't have the time to help a child with this project on top of reading homework and other stuff. And then the child is embarrassed or gets in trouble for not doing their homework.

I have also heard of children being asked to build a replica of a motte and bailey castle, wear various costumes (world book day, Victorian day, dictionary day, Christmas jumper day), bring in money for whatever fundraiser. AIBU and parents should just be expected to budget for this sort of thing when they have school aged kids.

My son has half term homework to make a model of something related to the topic they've been doing. There's a prize for the best. He prefers things like this to the usual workbooks, spelling etc and he's excited that it's a competition.... But it'll never compare to some of the other entries because their parents will do it for them!

I remember once for a book week competition one of his classmates arrived with an amazing model... My son asked what book it was based on and the lad said 'dunno, my mum made it.' You'd think she would at least have involved him in it!

We had "build a Viking ship replica" in Y1. There were proper masterpieces in the submissions. And all parents were like - "ah, I just gave little Billy some junk cardboard and glue, blinked - and there it was. I hope it's good enough, he did not really try hard!". The said ship is two feet tall, with real ropes, opening doors, fabric sails etc., and Viking figurines wearing fur coats.
My DC made an honest attempt with matches and plasticine, which no one really looked at. He felt really bad about it and I wasn't, and still am not sure what to do. I don't have several free days to spend on building a cardboard ship.

It's not just primary it's secondary too. DS had to make models of a trench, a cell (which we did do as a cake) and an air-raid shelter. Fortuantely DH is quite crafty and helped him/did them. Ludicrous.

If a headteacher wrote a letter to me telling me to do crafts with my child over the summer I would have to write a fairly strongly worded letter back. Craft is a talent. Which I do not have.

On another occasion DS had to design an animal and say how it had adapted to its environment. DH helped him draw it. But that wasn't good enough he had to make one. I did ask him to take the 30 min detention that he would have got for not doing it, but he refused and DH helped again.

Without DH, DS would have been stuffed. It is not just about money, it is about parent's ability and that is not right. Nobody should be required to do art/craft homework until they are doing GCSE Art and able to do it themselves.

Of course it’s optional. Just don’t do it

It is not optional. At secondary they get detentions for not doing it.