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.

OMG some of these suggestions - yeah just let a 7 year old choose a recipe they fancy from the whole of the internet and they'll get on with it while you do your usual day's work in peace and quiet...

And re 10 year old's being self sufficient - well yes mine is once you work out which of the 7 documents provided for that activity is what the instructions refer to as the 'flip chart' that you should look through first, then go through the 15 page flip chart with them for background and examples, trying to explain what they don't understand/remember, work out which of the other 6 documents is the question sheet relevant to their level, which one is the answer sheet they should be able to edit, try many possibilities before realising it isn't editable at all, so talk them through opening and saving a new document and then leave them to it while you get on with your usual day's work - all while the 7 year old puts the finishing touches to the gingerbread castle they chose from all the recipes on the internet.

Sorry I'm very ranty at the moment but primary age kids usually work with their peers, of course they don't have 1 to 1 attention at school but they can ask or copy someone else if they're stuck, not their parent who is on a sodding deadline.

Older 2 are going to have to fend for themselves. I'll make sure they get up and onto their lessons.

We're going commit to do half an hour each of maths and english each day one to one with DS2 (Y6) using schools resources, half an hour outside or exercise and getting him on the half hour daily zoom. Rest of the day he'll be watching the BBC offer or reading or playing with rule of no computer gaming till after 3.30.

We are not miracle workers and not suddenly independently wealthy either.

Agree with those saying would protect your / your household’s income over attempts to educate.

I live in an upstairs flat and have a 10 year old. The noise for downstairs means we can’t do any pe that school set like Joe wicks so we use cosmic kids yoga which is much quieter.
We start home learning at around 9am and have all the work school had set done by lunchtime. Quick walk, lunch and then watches things like horrible histories on tv and reads or colours for a few hours while I study for the degree I’m doing in university.

Break your day up into sections. Days when she really isn’t able to concentrate we skip and catch up over the weekend. Pick out the most important or hardest things and get them out of the way first, fun things come after as a reward

Just focus on words, maybe get 11+flash cards for them, just to help expand their vocabulary. Words, reading and times tables.
If they become *hit hot there, you'll be winning.
Ask them a few questions every now and then about what they are reading.

I went into this lockdown quite confident about homeschooling. Last time it was fine.

This time they have set SO MUCH WORK!!

GPS, English, maths (a new subject to learn and then practice of what they've learnt previously) then 2x subjects such as Geography and Computing. For each of these it's watch a video and complete a task.

He's 9 for goodness sake. Im 38 and I think I'd struggle to get all that done.

I think I may have to take a different approach from tomorrow as it's leaving no time to get outside during daylight for fresh air/exercise.

Im considering telling him to leave GPS.

Do the English, do the maths and 1 "topic" activity after lunch 🤷‍♀️

Work is my priority OP
I’m a LP and it’s rough and tough
I’ll try and exercise them and do some 1:1 some days
But your earning must take priority

Why is everyone being guilted into this
It’s not possible if you work FT

And some of the posts here read more like bragging than advice to be honest
Shut it ! And well done
But hearing your amazing routine won’t help OP

Mine are 6&7 and need constant supervision to do work. Today we watched bbc bitsize first thing (fairly rubbish but they sat for 20mins) then 20 mins literacy work and 20 mins maths.
That took the entire morning between helping each individually, and also making sure my toddler didn’t destroy the house. I’ve no idea how wfh people are managing.
Could you dedicate say 8.30am-10.30am solely to school work, with the promise of free time to do what they want for the rest of the day, then say another half hour later on in afternoon, leaving you large chunk of day to get on with work?. Your priority has to be your income in this situation .

Saw a tweet last night

Homeschooling is something voluntarily entered into, considered, planned and taking a lot of time and commitment in the best interests of the child.

This is not homeschooling, it is Emergency Education

Do what you can, when you can, prioritise income, Mental Health and wellbeing and a harmonious household. Do an hour, if you can.

Even though I have a just turned 14 year old in Y9, who can get on with the work himself, I really worry about how much is actually going in. It’s just not the same as being at school, even though his school have done a great job so far with setting work and online lesson. Ds almost has a glazed expression throughout the day and I really feel for him.

It's a fucking nightmare. My two are in primary and need lots of supervision. the whole thing is a farce; the expectation that parents can just manage to WFH and teach their children at the same time or even home school their children at all. Mt kids are ok for the first few weeks then grow increasingly resentful. The last time there were tears and tantrums every single day. It got to the point that I thought it was more damaging to them to try and continue with the schooling despite then missing out on schooling.

I also agree that you need to consider your own job especially in the current climate. For most people it just isn't feasible to spend all day home schooling and then catch up on work once the kids are in bed.

This is from the last time, but I've seen it done again with wine....

We are starting at 9 and finishing 6ish with only a 20 min break

Its absolutely ridiculous the amount of work. One dc has SEN and the other suspected ADHD. I cant cope let alone work myself.

I have no idea what the teachers are thinking setting this amount. We're meant to follow a timetable of 50 mins or so each lesson. The bloody accompanying videos take most of that and thats without the actual work on top plus the extra time for learning difficulties.

Im at the point of stopping half of it.

@Willyoujustbequiet

We are starting at 9 and finishing 6ish with only a 20 min break

Its absolutely ridiculous the amount of work. One dc has SEN and the other suspected ADHD. I cant cope let alone work myself.

I have no idea what the teachers are thinking setting this amount. We're meant to follow a timetable of 50 mins or so each lesson. The bloody accompanying videos take most of that and thats without the actual work on top plus the extra time for learning difficulties.

Im at the point of stopping half of it.

If the timetable is 50 minutes, then you do 50 minutes and then stop. That's what would happen at school - children aren't kept in til 6pm!

The teachers are probably setting plenty so there's enough for the children who race through everything - otherwise they will get complaints from some parents about not setting enough.

If you are worried, just add a note to the work to say that's what was done in 50 minutes. And let your children have a proper break.

@Willyoujustbequiet please speak to your children's teachers, or get them to do it if old enough, or let them finish on time and write a note that they have spent the time.

I honestly don't think it's meant to be this difficult, and some teachers would be mortified if they realised it was taking you 9 hours a day. That much directed time is not good for your children surely. Mental health first or everything falls apart.

Feel for you OP. Mine are a bit older but the youngest struggling with technology, motivation and has A LOT of questions

I can't homeschool during the day so my 8 yr old is watching tv and playing Lego.

I work in the NHS and whilst I am home i am back to back in meetings so can't tackle homeschooling until the evening

The more of these threads I read, the more convinced I become that schools may have been shut for legitimate reasons (can't see what they are, myself, but let's give the government the benefit of the doubt) - but the effect on children and family life generally just isn't worth it.

Parents are mostly not their children's teachers for very, very good reasons.

The relationship between children and their parents can be very tricky to navigate even at the best of times. Closing schools will do emotional, social, and familial damage that far outlasts the awfulness of children being poorly educated for a year or more (which would be bad enough on its own).

If even one person making policy were a parent of school-aged children - and even more so a working parent of school-aged children - ways would have been found to keep schools open safely.

I only have one child still at school (sixth form) so I have nothing invested in this. However, it's obvious to anyone who has been through the child-rearing years - and, in fact, to anyone with even a trace of intelligence or empathy.

What is most shocking is that nobody is listening to you.

Parents are mostly not their children's teachers for very, very good reasons.

This with bells on.
I don't know many school teachers but I do know various sports teachers / coaches. When I think about it most will avoid trying to teacher their own kids, instead will get a fellow coach to teach them. Mainly because the coach / student relationship works better when its not mum or dad.

Let's not forget the vast majority of mums and dads aren't even able to focus 100% attention on home school, their attention is being split between WFH, HS at a couple of different levels and whatever else is going on.

I agree. I'm a teacher, and former home educator, and last time around I decided very early on that if I wanted to maintain the relationship I wanted with my children I couldn't push the home learning. No-one was in the right headspace, and with a chaotic toddler around it wasn't working. So we went to the beach pretty much every day when I wasn't working, read a lot of books, and that was about it.

This time around we have an extra laptop, the toddler is older and in nursery at times and we are managing in a far calmer fashion. But I'm keeping my fingers crossed on that.