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.

Amen to this.

Losing my fkn mind here trying to home school a 7yo with SEN and 4yo with us both 'working' at home. And not so useful message from head teacher guilting us into making sure they don't miss out lessons and get behind their peers. Cheers. I'd prefer a roof over my head but ho hum.

Yeah, last time I was full of enthusiasm... signing them up for short-film making courses and whatnot. But I've just lost that. Like I've run out of steam already.

I think a lot of us are in the same state. If the pandemic had ended before Christmas I would be patting myself on the back for effort, achievement and generally stellar coping. Whereas now...I just need it to end, because I have used up my reserves and I'm too tired to keep being stellar.

"I would expect the 10 year old to be semi self sufficient."
on what basis? your own child?

OP, just do a little bit of something, but maybe sack it off for today.
You could do worse than put them in front of the BBC's offer for the morning and spend half an hour one to one with each of them after the end of the working day. Or just get them to read, draw and play.

Stick them.in front of the BBC lesson program.

Yup I feel the same. Mostly because I don't have a fucking clue how to use computers, I have no interest in learning how to, our laptops (they make me very stressed. I don't know how people work on them all day. I would go crazy) go pretty slow because they are not brand new, and although we apparently have the best Internet connection speed possible for our area, it's not fucking fast enough.

I get so stressed even before anything goes wrong that I want to rip my hair out. No joke, actually have the urge to pull bits of hair out of my head.
Trying to navigate the online learning sites and find the work set, and figure out how to set up live chats and lessons. Jumping between different things, and I'm going to have a new born in a couple of weeks. I could actually cry.

I just felt a bit sad for my dd today. She’s yr 3 and really trying hard to do the online work. I saw her blinking hard and rubbing her eyes and go back to staring at the screen.
Poor kids. Even when they’re trying we can see it’s not good for them for too long.

Op I have an 8 and a 16 year old.
I've spent the whole day so far running up and down the stairs between them trying to sort issues. I'm really stressed with it and I'm on furlough so no work to complete either.
Is there a grandparent that can listen to them read for half an hour on zoom/FaceTime? That helps me just regather myself for the next battle

@Foghead why is a 3 year old doing online work? I’m genuinely baffled.

Oh, yr 3. Sorry

I have so much sympathy for you.

I'm in Australia, so our school lockdown was March to June and that was bad enough with my then 7yo - he was, and I'm not kidding, an absolute fucking nightmare.
DS1 was fine - he was in high school, in a programme that insisted all kids in that programme had an iPad because they did a lot of interactive learning online, so it was fairly easy for them to switch to online classes, and he was totally self-sufficient and just got on with it.

But DS2 - OMG, I don't actually know how we survived each other. It was some of my worst parenting times ever - and I know I'm not alone in that, but that doesn't make it any better. We had no interactive online classes for him though - just worksheets, mostly, or tasks sent via email.

I know other parents just gave up too because why put everyone through that? I have no idea how parents of more than one child (or more than one who needed help) coped - and I know several friends with 3+ children who just went "nup, too hard" and didn't even try.

I was shocked for a minute. Bless her. Is she 7? That’s still young.

I really feel for all of you trying to balance work and home schooling with young ones. Mine are teens so are very good now at home learning especially as their school has kept to their timetable. I am full time studying myself, however I am still finding they are distracting me with questions or making food or having a free lesson so watching tv, asking me to go on a walk or they are practicing their instruments. Then add in my 2 eldest who have returned to University, phoning because something is not working or lessons have been cancelled, or rent being taken early etc etc it goes on and on and on

I should add though, that if they're into Operation Ouch, then Drs. Xand and Chris are running their own thing at 2:30pm most school days - they started on Jan 6th, I think.
Here's the BBC iPlayer link - but it's also available on FB, Youtube and IG www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000jybp/operation-ouch-do-try-this-at-home-1-bones

OP, my DC are 17 and 19, and the thought of doing what you are doing now makes me shudder. I have no idea how anyone is supposed to do it, and work, and stay reasonably sane. If you can get through a day without anyone crying or shouting, I would say you are doing well.

As for the "10 yr olds should be self-sufficient" comments: all children are different. Some small children are self-sufficient. Some older ones aren't. We should be supporting one another, not making one another feel worse.

I feel this. Today my child had 12 tasks to complete in his online account and a class Zoom, naturally I was expected to supervise all of this whilst also taking client calls, attending Zoom meetings of my own and actually doing work! It’s absolutely fucking impossible and there is no leeway from clients or employers this time around.

I’ve had to fire off an email to school saying I can’t manage it and I have to prioritise earning as I’m self employed and no grants or schemes to fall back on (I’m one of the ‘Excluded’).

I tried so hard in the last lockdown and I just don’t have it in me to do it all over again. I’m a single parent too and getting over Covid myself. It feels impossibly bleak right now.

Is there space in one of the bedrooms to fit a table like this? If so set 10 year up on that with guidance in bedroom. Then keep 7 year old with you to look at her work. Then ask her to be quiet while you work. The talk them for a good runaround at park or street at lunch time. That will probably help with noise too.

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As for the "10 yr olds should be self-sufficient" comments: all children are different. Some small children are self-sufficient. Some older ones aren't. We should be supporting one another, not making one another feel worse.

Indeed my 11 year old IS self sufficient but by 9 year old definitely isn't. Was talking to another parent yesterday and his 14 year old isn't.

Take them outside and have them make a den and potions instead

I'm trying to get a fed up teenager to do some work when he is having trouble logging onto teams so I sympathise. The only positive thing I can say is they have years to make it up so don't beat yourself up. I've told my GS if he doesn't work independently I'm having half his GCSEs as I think I will have earned them if this goes on much longer.

I don't know why live lessons on line was supposed to be the be all and end all, I'm finding it a nightmare and wish he could just download some stuff to get on with. Not blaming teachers, I know they are having to follow guidelines.

@joystir59 Stick them.in front of the BBC lesson program. I think that is fine for their age, the BBC will probably do a good job of it and hopefully some of it will be fun stuff.

A lot of people spent time moaning about their children's education but aren't willing to even put a small bit of effort into supporting that education !
A small bit is better than nothing and to be honest it feels rather disrespectful towards the teachers who have spent time preparing the work for parents to just completely ignore it !
We have been on remote learning all year so far due to medical conditions and my Year 4 is pretty self sufficient ! My Year R child needs a lot more support but thats understandable given the age but we split it across the day in small intervals ...set her up with an activity and she carries it out while i get on with other things
What if this happens to go on for weeks again and schools don't get back on the February date will you then be expecting the teachers to catch your children up at the expense of other children who have covered the work and are ready to move on ?

The headteacher from our kids' primary has told us that 250 of the usual 600 children are in school. There are usually 3 classes per year group so currently 2 of the 3 teachers per year group are teaching and the other us setting online work for children not in school. I really don't think it is just childcare this time.

Fair enough, I’m not sure how that proportion of attendance will affects the schools balance of resources between using TA and teacher time. The official line is that being in school is childcare while the teaching has moved to being done remotely. Because it isn’t possible to expect teachers to teach online and in person at the same time, teachers set and mark the work and teaching assistants supervise- rather than teach- the kids in school who do the same worksheets.

it feels rather disrespectful towards the teachers who have spent time preparing the work for parents to just completely ignore it !

You mean photocopy a load of worksheets and provide links to u tube videos for phonics and maths?

Might just be me but I expect teachers to....you know......TEACH 🤷‍♀️ perhaps naively i expected them to at least record themselves doing a lesson 🤔🤷‍♀️

They need your support or else they’ll fall behind. As others say this could be going on until September and it isn’t fair not to help them.

Reading and chess sound great actually. If they were just on computer games all day (and no offense to computer games, they are very helpful when needed. I use them as bribes) it would be a problem. But they are at least occupying their minds in a vaguely productive manner!