To abandon all attempts to "home school".

[ASmallMovie]

I've had enough. The learning grids, the links, two kids fighting for space on a small desk, tech problems, my own work brushed aside. Live in a flat - the woman underneath moaning about the noise. It's absolutely fucking impossible.

I want to leave them to it - they can read, play, fight, raid the fridge, set fire to the house. I just don't care anymore. This is fucking hideous.

How old are they?

7 and 10

I don't blame you. Just do what you can. I would expect the 10 year old to be semi self sufficient.

I picked up a small desk second hand for pennies - could you do the same so they can at least be in different rooms?

I just need a rant. I work freelance and had a really exciting work project that I've had to put aside. They need it done by Easter so I'll lose out. Just feeling jealous of people who have houses (not a flat), space, resources, more patience, etc.

At that age - I agree. It’s impossible to get them to work independently and if you are present and they are like mine, they talk to you constantly.

I recommend asking the school to supply worksheets for all the classes and saying that your wife cannot cope wi5 anything live.% bribe the kids with tv/screen time to complete the worksheets in some manner. Download some vaguely educational games if you can. And try to have them watch the bbc scheduled learning programmes.

Beyond that, just try to get them outside to let off steam every morning, to reduce the activity levels in the afternoon and so reduce neighbour complaints.

Chuck in the home learning, fine, but unfortunately I do think it's on you to give them some other structure if you possibly can.

Honestly, don’t worry about it. Get them to play a game, watch some cbbc (they’re doing educational shows at the moment and free accompanying worksheets on Twinkl), documentaries, art tutorials, reading.. anything that’s semi educational and will keep them occupied and quiet. I’m sure their teacher won’t mind, as long as they’re doing something. We’re in the middle of a pandemic and expecting parents to teach multiple kids who will be frustrated and worried, whilst also trying to do their own work, isn’t always feasible. Don’t be hard on yourself.

What I found worked well for us last lockdown was routine (my kids were a similar age). So 9-10 English, 10-10.30 break, 10.30-11.30 maths, 11.30-12 something like to Rockstars (or other vaguely educational online thing they can do on their own), 12-1 lunch, 1-2 some other lesson, then reading for half an hour and then they can do what they want after that. Obviously substitute whatever lessons need doing - I assume the school is starting some work?

The 10 yr old should be able to work mostly alone and potentially the 7 yr old partly too. I found the days passed more quickly and more smoothly because they knew what to expect and at what time. If stuff didn't get finished within the hour slot, never mind.

I would also make use of the TV and vaguely educational (I use this phrase a lot!) programmes, such as horrible histories or planet earth, and I think they've started BBC lessons this week too on CBBC for both primary and secondary.

And maybe once they get into that routine, you might find some time to get some work done too? I do feel for you though, especially with the grumpy neighbour (who i would be inclined to ignore, assuming your kids aren't purposefully stomping in the floor all day).

Protect your income and take the work in this economic climate

*I assume the school is providing some work, that should say...

I’m where you are, this carries on an I will lose my job and as their father is no where to be seen that can’t happen!!!

@ScrapThatThen

Protect your income and take the work in this economic climate

I agree with this. DS's schoolwork has to fit around mine at the moment -- he's 8, but still need a fair amount of supervision.

Oh I feel this today op, I really do.
Trying to get my 6 and 10 year old to focus on some maths this morning. 10 year old will not calm down, kept jiggling around making noises like a donkey having a psychotic break and constantly antagonising his brother.
I had to leave them to it for a while as I was definitely feeling a bit.... homicidal at one point.
Then I took a closer look at the maths my 10 year old was being asked to do. Dividing by 17 anyone?
Just painful.

First day homeschooling our reception age DD and it's a disaster - Teams lesson which naively I had assumed would be done by the Teacher somewhere quiet was instead done from her classroom with a class full of screaming/playing kids in the background - couldn't hear a thing and found myself counting the number of attendees in the room instead and thinking why didn't I use DH key worker status to send her too (but I felt the moral and "right" thing to do was to keep her home - clearly not what the majority of other parents though!)

Every few minutes more info keeps getting put on Teams which have to Wade through - why they couldn't have organised this all last week i dont know 🤷‍♀️

The worksheets/assignments quite frankly are shit and make no sense

DD quite rightly equates being at home with play time, TV and general fun so has the attention span of a flea when it comes to trying to do formal activities 🤷‍♀️

I don’t think you should completely pack it in, but I think you need a routine.
Short small bursts of homeschool activities, adequate time outside to burn off steam, and free time to play. Stick to it each day, wake them up at a certain time and make sure they go to bed on time too

Amen to this is fucking hideous.

Keep the homeschooling simple. If it’s tough then trying to rigidly stick to all the stuff school are setting and the timetables and different resources isn’t going to work, will be stressful and you’ll end up just giving up with them doing nothing for weeks (well, this was my experience in the previous lockdown)

This time round my DS has his iPad- he does 15 mins on times table game (TT rockstars), 15 mins on a maths app called Komodo that I downloaded, a list of spellings and reads one chapter from whichever book he is currently reading (chosen by him from his own book collection) and that is literally it at the moment. But it’s doable and we will stick to it which is better than attempting everything briefly, giving up then doing nothing.

I have an 8 and 9 yea old, they need support and supervision to do school work. What’s working at the moment is doing 30 minutes each of literacy and numeracy - but doing them separately so they have my full attention and don’t distract each other. We do it in the morning with the promise of free time in the afternoon. We cherry pick work from school and work they do with their tutor. Some educational programmes in late afternoon while they have a snack. I’m not doing more than that.

On days I’m working I do their school work when I’ve finished. You have to be realistic about what’s possible when you’re juggling so much.

Agree. Keep it simple. Get the 10 year old started on something and send them to a different room to complete it. Hide TV remotes if they're a temptation. Then set the 7 yo going and make them stay with you. Put more effort into keeping yourself financially afloat.

It is hideous.

Can you get them up earlier and take them for walk, jog or something active and then try sitting them down for a few hours? Bribe them with a snack and a treat in the middle (good parenting bible can burn as far as I am concerned) and then at lunch time they get to choose a movie whilst you work for a few hours.

Finish with reading and maybe they can write a story whilst you make dinner. Times table CD for bathtime.

You are a bloody hero - and every mother that is working whilst being a full time teacher. Do as much as possible, and if its too much then reduce it until you can manage.

I agree to protect your income firstly and fore mostly.

I would chuck the formal home learning, ensure you doing reading everyday together with them, and learn in other ways when you can around topics on the curriculum.

I don't think children will be going back to school until September (personal thought, I have no evidence to back this up), so there's plenty of time to catch up with things over the Summer. Even if they do go back, there's still a Summer holiday for any catch up that needs doing.

Go with their interests and set them mini projects if possible - they can work together or separately.

It doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Maybe try to do 2 hours a day and build on it from there if you can.

I don't think children will be going back to school until September (personal thought, I have no evidence to back this up)

That is not true, half term may be optimistic, but they will be back after Easter for sure. There will be no reason to keep them at home, everyone in the vulnerable and elderly category will be vaccinated by then, even if the vaccine timetable overruns substantially. I don't think you scare mongering posts are helpful globe

Set up some educational activities for them for the day (pinterest is great for that, you don't need a huge amount of resources and play is a form of learning, if they're playing, they're learning and developing.).

Get together an 'oh fuck off' basket as my sister calls it. When the kid are pestering you, give them a basket/box/tesco bag full of stickers, card, pencils, loo roll tubes and give them a task i.e. make a robot, make a garden scene, make some fruit.

At the weekend or when you have time, try to make a plan of a long-term project they can do. If you pick a theme i.e. nature, get them to do maths activities involving nature (using leaves to count, counting how many birds fly past etc), tell them to write about nature or describe a park, draw nature, etc.

They don't have to do all of this with your support, maybe encourage them to use a timer and dedicate 10 minutes to each thing, get them to bring it to you to 'mark' it, draw big ticks and smiley faces and send them off again. Compromise with your time so they get to see you for something positive and then go off and work hard to impress you (but when it suits you)

There are a lot of education kids tv programmes available at the minute, plenty of horrible histories episodes on youtube and all kinds of science-y things too.

And maybe add some wine and a massive bar of chocolate to your next shop

OP i feel for you.

This is why keyworkers with a stay at home parent sending their child to school is unfair.

You can only do what you can, as others have said stick CBeebies on and protect your income. When you can do additional educational stuff with them.