Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Is anyone else going to find it next to impossible to home school their children?

66 replies

DontBiteTheBoobThatFeedsYou · 19/03/2020 20:21

This is really getting me down. Proper parent guilt incoming.

I've got reams of emails from the kids schools tell me what I can do/need to get done, places to find work.

Then there's all the parents in fb with their great homeschooling pics and ideas and creations.

Not only are we all in isolation, coughing our bladders into our pants (ok that bits just me) and fevers rocketing, I've got lecturers doing live feeds of in-depth lectures and interactive group work, assignments to do, and exams to prep for (the uni are being very understanding but if I can't complete the degree without the work, so putting it all off for weeks is simply going to bottleneck my work around dissertation time), then I've got a placement to do after next week in A&E,
and I've got a baby and two childminders for two kids who both said childcare's off every card.

But during all this bollocks I've got to HOME SCHOOL THE FUCKING CHILDREN.

Fuck sake.

OP posts:
Original poster
DontBiteTheBoobThatFeedsYou · 19/03/2020 20:22

Half of that isn't even in English is it?

I just did angry typing.

OP posts:
Nochangeplease · 19/03/2020 20:25

I’m sure there are lots of people who won’t be able to home school their children. Please don’t feel guilty. Luckily I don’t have to work from home, I work in a school so can’t. But even I’m going to struggle, just mentally, go home school. They are not going to sit and do it for me.
There will be plenty in your boat and in my opinion concentrating on our kids mental health is going to be far more important than school work. As long as you reassure them, take some time when you can to play with them or watch a movie. They’ll be fine.

mbosnz · 19/03/2020 20:25

It's shit. It's really shit. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt (and the socks!). How old are your kids? And you are going to be able to do very little of anything when you are so unwell yourself, and I'm afraid you're going to have to accept that and forgive yourself.

slipperywhensparticus · 19/03/2020 20:26

Just chill give the kids some simple tasks for now such as reading to each other drawing pictures (good for pencil control) and lego? Crack on with what you need to do

LauraAshleySofa · 19/03/2020 20:26

I am limiting homework to 1-2 hours a day. Outside of that I really hope the kids use this time to find their passions. DS was sketching in a journal last night and I just thought why push schooling? This time is priceless, for them to just be themselves, amuse themselves. No scheduling, no pressure.

Waxonwaxoff0 · 19/03/2020 20:26

I am still working, can't work from home either so I will have to get home from work and try and do schoolwork with DS. Sad

Smellbellina · 19/03/2020 20:27

If they’re primary aged and you’re happy for them to use screens get them onto prodigy math

Windywuss · 19/03/2020 20:27

You can only do what you can do. No guilt. I think when responding to crisis we can forget to pause. To think things through. Maybe if we do we can prioritise better. So many people will be juggling like crazy. Some have it harder than others for sure. But children adapt and will catch up. Bbc is going to up education programmes. Maybe we can timetable what we can manage and there will lots of ideas.

Give yourself a moment though.

Choufleur · 19/03/2020 20:28

Ds is in year 9. He’s being set work which is sent via is homework app daily. He’s working through that himself. Honestly he’s at the point where I can’t help with maths and science as it’s beyond me. If I had a primary age child I would do was necessary and make sure I read with them.

BlueGheko · 19/03/2020 20:29

Well I'll be at work (if I don't get sick) and my ds11 will be home alone so no there'll be no home schooling here, will just have to trust him to get on with it Sad. So far all we've had from school is a list of about 40 websites, I've bought some jotters and there's not much else I can do.
Oh I saw all those stupid fb posts, the best one was a list of stuff to do reposted with a line through it and changed to 'keep kids alive'. About sums it up.

vegansprinkle · 19/03/2020 20:29

DH and I are both working from home, with four kids aged 4-10 (one with SN) and I am doing a degree.
I am a teacher, so getting loads of messages from panicked parents and trying to prepare schoolwork remotely. (We are a bit ahead of UK as
In Europe, so non essential shops/schools etc have been in lockdown since the weekend).
Week one, I have ignored kids schoolwork and gone outside while we still can. We are expecting to be told that we can only go within 1-2 kilometers from our home tomorrow (similar to France's measures). So then, and only then will we start our homeschooling.

I am working at night, bar conferences, wherever possible. DH doesn't have this luxury so works throughout the day.

It's not a race, those who are sprinting now will be ragged half way through... so take the time and breathe.

As long as you are not sticking the kids in front of a screen with junk to nibble all day, you are winning.

Original poster
DontBiteTheBoobThatFeedsYou · 19/03/2020 20:38

Oh VeganSprinkle! You beat me.
That's really bloody tough.
It's such bollocks isn't it?

The thing is with those suggestion I give them an app or tell them to get on with it - that doesn't work.

That would have worked for me as a kid, but I've got 3 boys and I basically have to whip their butts to get them to do homework (not literally!). They are bright and produce great work, but not for me! For their school.

Homework is painful enough as it is. Let alone homeschooling.

Sorry to what others are in a similar boat.

What a load of bollocks.

OP posts:
moita · 19/03/2020 20:39

I think seeing as there's a pandemic going on which is unprecedented for our time: just getting through each day is enough!

Original poster
DontBiteTheBoobThatFeedsYou · 19/03/2020 20:39

As long as you are not sticking the kids in front of a screen with junk to nibble all day, you are winning.

Thai is exactly what we are doing 😭 but I'm allowing it only while there is still fevers and illness.
Once that's passes things will change.
I don't think the kids believe me....

OP posts:
Suniscomingout · 19/03/2020 20:47

They are not expecting you to home school your children. All children are in the same situation. Nobody will be "behind" when they go back, don't worry about that. Whatever work the school gives you they've got six months to get through! Don't worry about those parents on FB....I think some parents enjoy playing school (nothing wrong with that).

RevealTheHiddenBeach · 19/03/2020 20:51

I wouldn't be doing ANY home schooling while the dc are ill. If school was open and they had a fever you wouldn't send them in, so there's no way they should be working at home.

Save the home school battles for when they are fit and well again!

Wipingsides · 19/03/2020 21:00

My y7-er has been told they need to do 6 50 min lessons each day as if in school & all work is being set virtually. Luckily she loves school work but I think this is a ridiculously high expectation. I was hoping we’d just chill out & do a few hours of sch work!! No idea how they’ll enforce any consequences if the work isn’t done tbh?!

Leaannb · 19/03/2020 21:01

Our kids have transitioned to online classrooms. They attend their classes at home just like they do at school. For instance,high school senior AP Calculus clas started at 725 in the brick and morter school. They have to attend by camera at 725 or they are marked absent or tardy. The only thing different is no dress code

eachtotheirownnow · 19/03/2020 21:03

YABU for referring to them as 'the fucking children' - how would you feel if their teachers did that?!

TabbyStar · 19/03/2020 21:04

My DD missed a year and a half of secondary school and it made no difference at all academically. We did other stuff. Let them pursue their interests if you can, they'll get bored of screens eventually. Don't put more pressure on yourselves and turn it into one long battle. You may find them more resourceful than you expected!

Sabine123 · 19/03/2020 21:04

My DS is 12 - we have emails and pages of work sent from school. I have just filed it all away ! Went to the attic got all his old lego out and said knock yourself out ! He has a great few days forgetting we are isolated and reunited himself with his old lego that he hasn't seen for a few years ! He needs a couple of weeks to get his head around the current changes before we can think about equations, industrial revolution and French verbs !! I have been teaching him to cook though !!

belay · 19/03/2020 21:13

I can't homeschool because my year 9 needs a lot of support and a learning assistant at school. He won't do school work at home

DontBiteTheBoobThatFeedsYou · 19/03/2020 21:39

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Shinygreenelephant · 19/03/2020 21:46

Honestly do not worry about it. I'm a year 6 teacher, my daughter is year 6, I was already on mat leave and the baby is an angel who gives me no trouble. I'm still not home schooling. I'm teaching her to cook, giving her story prompts, doing lots of art and crafts, and have ordered her a science magazine subscription. Thats it. And in your position I would throw the pair of them in front of the TV with ice cream until we all felt better and not feel a shred of guilt. Just be kind to yourself and try not to worry - they wont be behind, everyone is in the same boat. We will all be okay xxxx

Dontsayyouloveme · 19/03/2020 21:51

Have a read if this:

Is anyone else going to find it next to impossible to home school their children?