To want to quit home schooling

[cookiesandcream27]

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.

Teacher (SLT) here...it took me at least two weeks to get into a routine as I had so many policies and procedures to set up when our school closed. I felt I was failing at everything.

Now we have a routine. We drop my husband off at work each morning and then get started. Separate room for work. Four sessions with short breaks (where he leaves the room either going to the garden or to watch some crap on YouTube) them lunch. If he does all the lessons by lunch he gets gaming time, if not we continue. I have to help him with EVERYTHING or it’ll be done at speed, and poorly. I award points for a good morning where we see no tantrums, sulks and rushing work. Points equal a treat but I’m careful to not chuck these about or they’d lose value quickly.

When my laptop dings I respond to that email but otherwise work starts after lunch and into the evening. We find time for a walk most days too.

Literally the only advantage my teacher background has given me is a little more patience...which we all need in spades right now but is lacking in children...we are all trying our best.

As a teacher I’m well aware there are parents who ignore our calls. This is a shame because we do genuinely want to help and while it’s not good for anyone’s mental health to stress out about this stuff, it’s not great to ignore it either.

I'm a single mum with a full time job which is very demanding and needs a lot of attention. Very early on I pretty much stopped with what school was setting for ds10. He needs so much input to sit still and work and then even if working chats constantly and asking loads of questions if engaged with the work. I just couldnt do it and work at the same time. He is parked on his xbox most of the day. He plays games with his friends so is socialising and maintaining friendships so its not all bad and he also watches some you tube and other telly. In the evenings I am trying to do one hour of maths with him as that is his weakest subject. But having worked 830 to 520 to then do that plus walk dog, cook dinner, clean and tidy is not easy.
My dd14 works well independently so am not too concerned about her but her laptop died yesterday (new at xmas!) so she will be stressed if that cant be sorted.
I think you have to go easy on yourself. Maybe pick one area each child needs most help with and do bits for that as and when you can but dont put anyborwssure on yourself about doing it

I have a Y9 (gone back very part-time this week - abroad and Y9 is a pre-exam year here), a Y7 (not sure when he will go back) and a preschooler at home. Dh critical worker so out all day, I work for myself from home. I eventually let the Y9 get on with it except where asked for help. The Y7 rushes through it all and is VERY resistant to me helping. He'll put up with dh (who often takes him through stuff at weekends) but his tolerance for my explanations are very limited. It's a shame as I could really help him with a lot of it. He's missing school and the structure of it and although his grades are holding up somehow, I am sure classmates who engage with their parents' help (and don't also have emails to answer/a preschooler to entertain) are 'looking' better right now. Class teacher is informed but not engaging very much tbh.

sorry - and whose parents don't have emails to answer etc.

Even eight full hours of work a day, plus however many hours you choose to spend on learning (from school or other areas) does not add up to too many waking hours for some down time.

Today was awful we argued through 1 thing and then gave up. I messaged the teacher and told her.

I'm not going to stress myself out over it

Do what you can, something is better than nothing and being calm is the main thing right now

I've given up and I'm meant to be a teacher!! I just cannot manage whinging 10yo DS arguing over every.fucking.little.thing.

Oh I dont want to do TT Rockstars!
Oh I dont want to do Purple Mash!
Oh you need to spell my school name I dont know it!
What is 7 times 8? Mum? Mum? Mum what's 7 times 8? Mum? Mum what is it?
How long have I been doing this now? Is the timer up? Alexa how long is left on the timer? Urhhhgggghhgghhhhh that is too long!

All while trying to do work work and fit in studies for my MA too.

I could have screamed by 10am this morning.

Place marking. Just dealing with the fallout of “home schooling”

Feel for you OP. My 7yo nearly came to a grisly end this morning. I have PMT and I barely held on today, it was truly horrible. He is missing his mates and just hating life, it's awful.

I doubt @WillAshton is really a teacher, try not to take it to heart. There are loads of people on here lately, trolling teachers and trying to make the profession look bad.

It's worth noting that teachers arent trained in planning remote learning and many dont have a clue how stressful all the interfaces etc are. I work in adult learning, a lot of it remote, there is a reason why I am highly paid - it is extremely difficult to plan and implement high quality, engaging remote learning, even for adult who are choosing to study xyz.

My DS teacher is a lovely lady with zero clue how this remote malarkey works - some teachers are just not skilled in basic technology, never mind the v specialized world of remote learning. We just get on with what we can. I was planning my own lessons for DS until the last couple of weeks when the teacher seemed to get the hang of stuff a bit more. Its life. We get on with it and it will be ok.

FWIW I've just set the minimum as handwriting + maths every day. He also needs to learn French as hes in a specialized immersion school - so I make sure one of the activities includes that. So fine motor is there, and hes exercising his maths brain - more than he was doing at school most days on any case. I find WillAshton's admonishments to leave them to it simply hilarious! It took my DS 2 hours to complete 2 worksheets of maths today... while he screamed his head off trying to force my hand into letting him off the hook for doing it... lol.

Remember they're just teachers, not God, your kids dont need to dance to every tune in terms of getting the set work done. They also don't have to do it perfectly. Just get through this time without murdering them and it will come right in the end.

I'm with you I'm so sick of the pressure my oldest he can work alone he's at seniors so I just make him do two- three hours per day and he's cool with that and gets it done. My other two 11 and 8 they cry about it in that thick I can't even help my 11 year old with his maths it's all changed since I was at school I have to ask my oldest to help him and then all hell breaks loose. My youngest has adhd so he's hyper and can't concentrate he cries tantrums and I do one hour and give up it's his level of concentration he can't seem to do more.
I feel so guilty and a shit parent at the moment but it's so stressful I have no advice accept I agree and want to stop.

DD6 has finally dug her heels into re cooperating with home schooling. I've sacked off everything but times tables and reading.

OP, I could.have written your opening post too!
I'm not coping with this home schooling business either and I only have one YR 3 DS. He's never got behind at school and his teachers have never complained that he's lazy in class or difficult to teach. Yet, somehow, getting him to do the simplest of task at home is such a struggle. It's awful! It always ends in tears. He just stares into space and won't try at all unless constantly prompted. I can't do this and work at the same time, it's just not compatible. The mind boggles as to how he can be so different in class.
The worst thing is, I would give up but I'm also self-conscious of all the kids in his class who hand in work promptly. How do the parents do it??

I/we are in a similar boat. We have a 6 yr old and a 10 yr old. I work f/time and have the kindof job that doesnt allow for simultaneous child entertainment (who does?). DH has health is issues and due to them is impatient to say the least. I am stressed and snappy. DS (10) is fully engaged by online school work between 8.45 and 2.30pm with breaks for lunch etc but doesnt need our input. DS2 (6) needs 1:1 cajoling to do anything. I do an hour with him starting at 7.45am to get it in before work. Then DH does 2 morning sessions with him. Sometimes the afternoon session (art, music etc) doesnt happen. The school is quite full-on so I feel like we are letting him down and the more you look at FB and all the 'lovely' things other families are doing just adds to my stress.
I have all fingers and toes crossed that school will re-open soon.