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Original poster

To want to quit home schooling

113 replies

cookiesandcream27 · 05/05/2020 15:02

I'm so fucking sick of this. I'm working full time from home. Everyday I'm trying to spend at least an hour going through the kids official school work with them - I.e the work that's been sent via an app from school. Everyday it ends in tears. I'm impatient and on edge because I should be working. They are bored and not interested in it. I'm really bad at trying to explain stuff. The resources and tasks that are being sent all require various different logons and systems they more often than not don't work. So I spend more time faffing with that and getting more cross!

I feel like I just want to give up. They're getting nothing from it. But I'm aware that all the other kids seem to be doing it and contributing all their work to the class blog and don't want mine to be perceived as the ones not bothering.

I'm trying to keep them drawing, reading, gardening etc. But it's so hard to keep them engaged when I'm working and not doing it with them. Feeling like I'm failing at everything at the minute.

OP posts:
Grasspigeons · 05/05/2020 15:14

How old are they
(Im sure you are doing fine. Its really tough)

Original poster
cookiesandcream27 · 05/05/2020 15:29

7 and 9.

If I wasn't working it would be a lot easier but I just can't do everything. I know from the school fb page that loads of families are completing all the daily tasks, we are so behind and have about 50 outstanding tasks. I don't want to fail them and am very worried about their education but I'm not a bloody teacher!

OP posts:
Coffeeisnecessary · 05/05/2020 15:31

You sound exactly like me, the school have sent all new topics and my 6 and 9 year old cannot do it on their own let alone work the app to load it all up. I used to be a teacher but I'm losing my shit over this, I'm very close to giving up.

Parker231 · 05/05/2020 15:31

I would give it up. You are their parent not their school teacher. Let them have some fun - a few weeks off any schooling isn’t going to harm them but everyone getting stressed is.

Noodledoodledoo · 05/05/2020 15:33

Speak to the teacher, do you have to be working at set times? I am a teacher but secondary and I have a 5 and 3 year old to teach so way out of my comfort zone. I am spending my evenings working to get as much of my work prepped and out of the way for the next day, I am then online during the day to field questions from other staff and students etc but I do not need to be doing much 'work' as such. It sucks as I don't get an evening but has helped my stress. I spend 2 hours in the morning doing stuff with the kids then we have a fairly easy afternoon - me doing a bit of work whilst supervising play etc.

HandfulOfFlowers · 05/05/2020 15:34

Can your work be a bit flexible with your working hours? You can't do both at once.

MrsTerryPratchett · 05/05/2020 15:34

I know from the school fb page that loads of families are completing all the daily tasks

I'm sure ours are too. But they don't have working parents. I don't go on the FB to check. We're running our own race.

cologne4711 · 05/05/2020 15:37

I know from the school fb page that loads of families are completing all the daily tasks

Of course they are!

Actually I'd take that with a pinch of salt. If you are having difficulties with log-ins, the chances are most other people are too. I very much doubt you and your kids are less capable than the others!

mcmooberry · 05/05/2020 15:40

Poor you! I am not even working and am finding the home schooling a slog, 2 of mine crack on fine and just get on with it, the third will not do one single thing if I am not sitting next to her cajoling, helping and then ultimately, and always, shouting at her, it is totally demoralising. Each day I vow to be calm but it all goes out the window as she won't co-operate at all. When I explained to the teacher that she won't do anything independently, she just sent me further resources which I won't get round to doing as it takes beyond the school day to do half of the set work. I cannot even imagine trying to do this and wfh, one day I was trying to watch a webinar for an hour and I found the interruptions hard then. If your children are average or above I would just do 1 or 2 hours a day and leave it at that. I think we have had a lot of parents complaining as our headteacher has now back-tracked and made it clear just to do what you can. The weekly class awards to the child (parent) who has sent in shedloads of work/arts and crafts is very annoying too.

Maybelatte · 05/05/2020 15:41

Message the teacher or give them a call/email if you have contact details and explain the problems. Make sure they know you’re juggling FT work and how much your DC are struggling. Even if you put an hour into their education a day you’re doing something, they can’t just not learn for the next three months.

IncrediblySadToo · 05/05/2020 15:42

They're 7&9. Keep them drawing,reading,gardening & doing other things that interest them ! Doing self driven 'projects' is good for them. Anything they'll willingly engage with like 'design your own game/theme park/planet. Anything to get them thinking & being creative. Writing letters (granny/friends) or a story

Plus the usual Lego/baking/air dry clay/water in the garden/...

Tell school you're doing your best while working & that'll have to be good enough!

Just try to avoid them lying in the sofa watching endless shite all day & it'll all be ok x

Original poster
cookiesandcream27 · 05/05/2020 15:43

My job isn't really doable in the evenings. I need to be on hand during the day for calls and stuff. So if I step away from work to help them for a bit I'm always conscious of my phone ringing. The kids just mess about and don't concentrate then I end up snapping at them which I know is really bad :(

Oh yeah the ones who are sat poised waiting for their daily school work are definitely the parents not working. I'm a bit jealous as I could have done a lot better without the distractions from work.

OP posts:
TimeWastingButFun · 05/05/2020 15:44

Are you sitting down with them at designated times? At first we were very flexible with our two (similar ages) but there were so many tears and tantrums about working - they really don't see that they are not on school holidays! But we set some times that they agreed with (an hour at 11 and another hour at 5) and they don't complain at all now - today we lost track of time while we were gardening and came in at 11.15 - to our amazement they were sitting down doing their work by themselves. Is it worth trying times that fit in with your working day?

Beechview · 05/05/2020 15:48

What about going on the bbcbitesize daily for their year? They’ve got some good stuff on there and only one logon required.
There are some excellent documentaries on Netflix and I player. Make sure their reading daily and they’ll be fine.
Ignore the schoolwork for now.

Onone · 05/05/2020 15:48

Iv quit doing it,I don’t answer the phone to school now either,I’m not a teacher,they draw an do crafts and play in the garden

YgritteSnow · 05/05/2020 15:51

My neighbour told me this morning that she read only 20% of kids are doing the work in a meaningful way. One of hers won't do a thing and she has given up as she can't bear the arguments for another day. I don't blame her.

wellerhugs5 · 05/05/2020 15:51

OP I could have written this exact post. It's soul destroying feeling that you're not managing to do anything well isn't it?

Parker231 · 05/05/2020 15:52

One of my friends says that her DC’s are behaving so badly when she tries to get them to do school work, that she would expel them if she was their teacher and her DC’s says she is a rubbish teacher.

She has given up with schooling and is concentrating on being a parent by earning a salary and ensuring they are as safe and happy as they can be.

MrsTerryPratchett · 05/05/2020 15:55

One of my friends says that her DC’s are behaving so badly when she tries to get them to do school work, that she would expel them if she was their teacher and her DC’s says she is a rubbish teacher.

Friends like this are like gold.

Mia1415 · 05/05/2020 15:55

My DS is 7 and I've basically given up. I'm trying to work FT as well and I'd literally have to sit with him full time to do what has been set. Each time I've tried it's ended up in tears (he is dyslexic and gets a lot of specialist support in school).

I've spoken to his teacher and she's been great and very understanding.

I'd suggest you try speaking to the school. I'm sure they will be understanding.

nobodyimportant · 05/05/2020 15:56

Try not to stress about it. You can only do what you can do. The school will understand. By the time they are 16, it will make very little difference how much they get done now. There will be plenty of time for them to catch back up.

Some really easy things to keep them ticking over:

PE with Joe Wicks - gives a good start to the day they can just get on with

Bitesize on Player - you can just stick it on for them to watch

Free books on Audible - get them to listen while they colour or play with lego

Lower your expectations of what you can get done.

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 05/05/2020 15:58

Just remember, there will be single kids with two parents at home and not working/reduced working, through to families with 3/4+ kids with a single parent trying to work from home. Some families will have a lot more time to dedicate to it than others. All any of us can do is our best. If they are struggling with the school set work, see if you can find some different stuff. And ignore all the social media stuff, it's just a snapshot.

Ugzbugz · 05/05/2020 16:00

I hate it, DS is 11 and cannot concentrate for more than 5 seconds without being distracted, and I work full time, I also find it very distracting to my work and at the end of the day I need to be paid keep us alive. I also find it beyond boring the work the day, and the rest I dont even understand 🙄

Original poster
cookiesandcream27 · 05/05/2020 16:00

Yeah I do make them watch Bitesize in a morning and make some notes. They also read and do times table sums on their iPads. I'm strict about no tv or iPad game time during the day so they are having to do moderately useful stuff even if it's just Lego or painting or being out in the garden. Just feel like their official school work is massively slipping.

OP posts:
WombatStewForTea · 05/05/2020 16:05

OP you need to remember - you're not working from home. You're working at home during a crisis.

You can't do everything. Think about what you can do. If they're up and about early can you do 30-40mins. Don't try and do all the tasks just pick what you can reasonably get done. Then spend some time either during your lunch or once you've finished work. If you can condense your hours a bit and finish an hour earlier that would help. You won't get uninterrupted time to work cos they're still there but at least you aren't trying to school at the same time.

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