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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Working from home and homeschooling - how are people coping?

68 replies

Goandplay · 04/01/2021 15:50

I’m tier 4. Schools not going back.

2 primary school children and 1 year 11 child.

Primary school have sent a timetable covering 9am to 3pm. My 2 DC’s will not work independently for very long. One struggles to maintain focus and concentration.

How am I supposed to do this whilst working full time from home?

How is everyone else coping?
Will my children be permanently disadvantaged because I can’t teach them for hours and hours of the day.

OP posts:
Heartlantern2 · 04/01/2021 15:52

Coping, I doubt coping is the word I would use, more like just soldiering on.

I plan to use bribes for my children as I will be working from home myself so I will do it that they try all by themselves and get rewarded for not disturbing me, then after dinner at 6pm I will quickly go over the work they have done that day with them and they can ask me questions then.

Not great but the best we can do

BrokenCircle · 04/01/2021 15:52

No your child won’t be disadvantaged because everyone else is in the same boat.

Heartlantern2 · 04/01/2021 15:53

Mine are 5 years old and 11 years old. Wish me luck!

Crunchymum · 04/01/2021 15:58

My kids are Y1 & Y3 plus a disabled toddler and I WFH.

Thankfully I can take some last minute leave (Thursday onwards) but if it is extended beyond the 18th then I am fucked!

Depends on how full online learning will be this time.

Last time my school did a really good blend of things that had to be done on computer / things that could be done away from computers / things that could be done outside.

Original poster
Goandplay · 04/01/2021 16:03

I am surrounded by people that can do the time table with their children (or seem to be able to) so I’m struggling to see wood for trees.

Thank you everyone.

OP posts:
Original poster
Goandplay · 04/01/2021 16:04

Am I crazy in thinking why not repeat a year of schooling?
So everyone in these years do an extra year of school? Leaving after year 13.

OP posts:
MsFrog · 04/01/2021 16:06

I'm on maternity leave for my second, and my DS is only 2 so I don't have this problem, but I just wanted to say that I have absolutely no idea how parents are doing this, it's like two full-time jobs. Sorry you feel overwhelmed, OP, and I can't believe so many people around you feel like they can manage this!

Thewithesarehere · 04/01/2021 16:09

I am fucking not!!
I am basically picking up an arsehole’s workload when they decided to travel across the country and met I don’t know how many people over Christmas, ending in them getting a positive Covid test right in the middle of our holidays, meaning I had to pick up the work as we must keep the client happy.
Bloody arseholes!

AndcalloffChristmas · 04/01/2021 16:15

Splitting it with exh is the plan and hoping our employers are understanding (they generally are). That’s for Ds. Dd is self motivated thank goodness- she’s yr 7 and gets her work online.

I’ve teed up our usual childminder to potentially do the odd hour of reading with him if we are stuck.

thinkfast · 04/01/2021 16:15

I agree repeating a year - or a year of extra schooling would help. Very few parents are professional teachers. I'm certainly not and have to do my own job. I can't properly supervise schooling from home as I need to earn a living.

Jangle33 · 04/01/2021 16:16

I think we have to plan this will be to half term at best.

AndcalloffChristmas · 04/01/2021 16:17

Making a morning scoot to exhs into an”school run” was good this morning but not everyone can do this - a scoot around the block maybe?

I don’t think they can all repeat a year as there will be a log jam of nursery kids coming up and then what about that year for unis?

FreiasBathtub · 04/01/2021 16:19

How am I coping?

I'm not.

zoemum2006 · 04/01/2021 16:25

If you can give your kids 1-2-1 attention then they’ll only need 30-60 minutes. They can get loads done in that time (it’s the equivalent of 3 hours in school).

OpposableThumbs2 · 04/01/2021 16:28

Definitely not going to be coping here either. DDs are in reception and year 5 so a big difference with what will be expected of them, but neither can work independently for more than a few minutes.

TheKeatingFive · 04/01/2021 16:48

I am organising informal childcare because there is no fucking way I’m doing this again.

Pinkdelight3 · 04/01/2021 16:56

"Primary school have sent a timetable covering 9am to 3pm."

That's great for the people who can supervise it but many can't so it's not for those who can't. Just do what's possible. Mine (9&13) do school work 8:30-11 then apart from watching something educational during lunch, they have to entertain themselves as I've got work to do. They didn't fall behind last time. As a PP said, some focused time is more effective than filling the hours just because the timetable says so. Hang in there, don't compare yourself with the people saying they do it all, and do whatever it takes to keep coping. We'll get through it.

LonnyVonnyWilsonFrickett · 04/01/2021 17:06

What does their timetable actually say? For eg, if there's 40 mins down for numeracy but they've sent one 10 question worksheet, that's not going to take a full 40 mins for most DCs.

But to answer your question, I'm doing what I can and trying very hard not to get stressed out about it. I've only got one child and quite a lot of flexibility so I'm luckier than most, but even with that, the first lockdown was really hard.

Hugbear · 04/01/2021 17:12

I wish our school sent us a timetable to follow. Our routine is completely upside down since Christmas. Honestly feel like I'm about to have a breakdown. Funny enough, my kids are glad there's no school.

goteam · 04/01/2021 17:17

My two age 9 and 6 will have zoom lessons from 9.30 - 3 and I work full time from home and have zoom meetings most of the day as does DH so we might cope but our wifi won't....

Truelymadlydeeplysomeonesmum · 04/01/2021 17:35

Only been a day and some schools not back until tomorrow. Give us a chance Grin

Leagueofgentlemenfan · 04/01/2021 17:49

I'm a sahm and I still don't cope well with it. My son is 10 and has sen. Homeschooling went terribly last time ,he just couldn't adjust. Tantrums every day and complete refusal to work . We would have 3 hours of hell each morning and then finish at lunch. But that was back when it was sunny and we'd spend the rest of the day outside.
I can't face it at all, absolutely dreading it

Leagueofgentlemenfan · 04/01/2021 17:50

I also have a child in year 2 who wants to do her work and can't because of her brother constantly distracting her. Both asking for help at the same time. Both needing assistance

B33Fr33 · 04/01/2021 17:53

We found it ok though more exhausting for my reception age child to do the work than being in school. The full timetable seems silly for primary and effectively they have 1:1 support and less work to achieve (I hope they do more in a day at school than we did anyway) so it probably doesn't take as long as it would getting all 30 to listen, run through it and do it.

ZoeTurtle · 04/01/2021 17:54

@Goandplay

Am I crazy in thinking why not repeat a year of schooling? So everyone in these years do an extra year of school? Leaving after year 13.
How would universities survive a year with no/very few students, though? The most prestigious might be able to get enough mature and international students, but most would be fucked.