School work woes

[Gutted2day]

Just that really, struggling to wfh and the tasks. DS just about treads water at school (Y5) so needs me to be with him when completing assignments. Its 2 hours on maths and 2 hours on english with another hour on re/science/art depending on what is set for the day. I have set hours so its devices until I am free to help so everyday is feeling like walking through treacle. How are you all coping???

I'm a SAHM. Reception child just wants to play MarioKart in his pants and eat Quavers, has to be cajoled into doing half an hours work and I have to stand over him or sit hip-to-hip before he'll do it. 18 month old is then throwing things at me to get my attention. Cue them both running round head butting each other while I shout at them to stop. WFH DH won't help with any schoolwork or childcare even though his boss has children and understands what's expected. It's all down to me and I'm not coping very well.

WFH mums who are also homeschooling, I take my hat off to you

Struggling to juggle work and homeschooling too. DC8 needs constant help and encouragement. Y4 Maths and English is hard! There is a lot to keep up with but I have lowered my expectations this week. For example, only doing the first one or two sections of the Maths work each day, rather than all three.

@samanthajonespr I take my hat off to you - trying to do schoolwork with a toddler on top is heroic!

@NellePorter yes I think that is the approach from now on - do what we can within reason

@notanothertakeaway you are so right. I haven't been outside the house since sunday (only to put the rubbish out) ds is going for a walk each day and my jaw is aching from clenching it

It is bloody hard work. I have an average 8 year old who needs constant support and a v bright 11 year old who left her motivation in the school building and argues with me until she cries.
This is exhausting. I might sack it off and just go to the park tomorrow.

Can I join to also say it’s a shit show😭my DS needs walked all the way through his work, my work don’t think anything has changed. I am losing my flipping mind

By being flexible about what 'doing' the work means. 7 year old needs support with writing, prefers Maths to English. If he's done a task with hand writing and then there's another task to come up with an idea and write it down- I'll separate the mechanic of handwriting from the idea process bit itself e.g talk me through the idea, type it up - depending on where he's at. Sometimes he's overwhelmed with the writing part and it stops him thinking of good ideas or using the language he can (because he doesn't want to write it). By being flexible and less perfectionist (my tendency - to 'do' the task exactly as asked) he's getting more done. Also after doing a set school task I'll let him free choose something from the school websites or bbc bite size e.g likes times tables so. Tomorrow it's Friday and we're all knackered so taking it a bit easier. God it's hard though, challenging me to be flexible in ways totally out of my comfort zone. Oh and work too.

Really struggling here.

Eldest is at high school, has at least 50% live lessons but lots of school work on top. She’s feeling the pressure a bit. Is using a laptop almost constantly, does work “out of hours” too.

Younger two at primary (year 5 and 3). No live lessons, everything on teams, but only the one laptop between them two and me who is trying to complete a nursing masters. I’m in my final year, have three assignments to do and have two jobs. About to go back out on my management placement in a few weeks.

Year 5 child's work is set with a deadline for a few days, generally by the Friday, but work added every day. Similarly year 3 child has work added daily but deadlines are shorter. Have to take turns using laptop as involves using word for some tasks. Can be hard getting them to focus, year 3 child plays up more and is more prone to “guessing” the answers. Seems to take forever to do work and can’t really leave either of them to get on with it, so quite intensive. Have been losing interest and haven’t been successful in meeting deadlines. Have so far had two check up emails from year 5 teacher, have tried to explain the situation but feels very much like I’m being checked up on. We are trying but failing miserably and the children don’t want to sit for hours and do work. Year 3 child especially loses interest at voiced over presentations. Feel like tearing my hair out. And after all that I’m too tired to be bothered doing much else, in full on procrastination mode and am completely stressed. DH helps a tiny bit, but nowhere near enough. I want to hide under a duvet mountain until it’s all over

Should say all three DC are at home. Technically we could ask for key worker places, as both me and DH are, but schools are really urging the stay at home thing. Things will be much worse when I go back out on placement, so may definitely need one then, but the LA has sent a letter via the schools too to say there’s been a boom in cases of children between 5-10, so to keep them away from school.

Stressed, Gin, Coffee, rubbish food......

I am live teaching, supporting my secondary students, anything up to 5 hours a day, whilst supporting a 6 and 4 year old. Luckily 6 year old generally likes school but we have had lots of tears and tantrums, I try to let her have some control so she gets to choose the order of what she does, I set a target of x needs doing before you can watch a TV thing! 4 year old luckily dad is home and he is taking charge but he is a pickle and plays up big time - unless I threaten to video him and send to his teacher!!

I also make 6 year old teacher and give them fun tasks to do when she is done, yesterday was making a train in the sitting room and going on a journey!

Far too much screen time here though

I gave all my students a bit of a break today, gave them a task that I knew wouldn't take long and told them to go and get some fresh air and exercise even though it was raining - we all need a break from screens. Feedback I got from them was overwhelming thanks as I was giving them a bit of a breathing space.

DD1's school are trying so hard, but I think they're using a platform that they don't quite understand themselves. They're using Class Dojo, but instead of assigning tasks, they've just given a link to a folder that the work sits in. The trouble is, to get to the link, I have to scroll down past all the posts (think of Facebook) to find the one that has the link in it. The further away I get from the day it was posted, the harder it is to find.

DD1 (15) is working her socks off, but she needs me right by her side and she finds writing, typing, etc., very difficult due to her SN, so she gets tired really easily.

DD2 (13) came unstuck today because her science teacher couldn't do a live lesson as he had meetings. So he set work to do, which was a follow on from a lesson DD2 missed due to illness. Unfortunately, as the lessons are live lessons, she couldn't look back and see what they did, and the worksheet she had made no sense to her whatsoever. Not the teacher's fault at all.

DD3 (11) is doing really well, although the almighty tantrum she had when she dropped a piece of toast today indicated that she was really quite exhausted!

Roll on Saturday.

As a home educator of 3 DC, I take my hat off to those of you trying to work from home and juggle the home learning.

I know what it’s like to home Ed but I could not imagine trying to work a job on top too!
I actually love home education but we chose it. It’s all on our terms.

The only advice I can give is don’t let it come between you and your children as much as you can. I know schools are putting pressure on but as long as a bit of reading, writing & maths is done sod the rest. This is just temporary and they can catch up later, trust me.

Have a Lego afternoon. Have a movie afternoon. Get them doing housework, even younger ones can do some jobs! Mine do. Go out of the house even just for a 20 minute walk.

to all you stressed mums.

@Noodledoodledoo DD2 & 3's school have decided to trim each lesson by 10 minutes to allow a bit of a leg stretch, toilet, whatever. The difference it has made is profound. Instead of rolling from lesson to lesson, the girls can get up, use the loo, quickly chat to me about how their lesson went, and be ready for the next lesson.

[quote Lougle]@Noodledoodledoo DD2 & 3's school have decided to trim each lesson by 10 minutes to allow a bit of a leg stretch, toilet, whatever. The difference it has made is profound. Instead of rolling from lesson to lesson, the girls can get up, use the loo, quickly chat to me about how their lesson went, and be ready for the next lesson.[/quote]
I might suggest it or do it myself anyway. I really think they are spending too much time online so trying to minimise the time on screen but then that requires printing which I know some struggle with.

I know my eyes/head is killing me, any free time I have I am on another screen to help kids! Then after bedtime I am back on marking and prepping! I don't work Fridays hence me being on here!

Yep sounds very familiar. In an effort to reassure I will tell you my experience, my DD was year 2 in last lockdown and reading was only just coming along and I was worried as no libraries and biff chip and kipper cost £500 on eBay! 3 months in school and she's now happily reading Tom gates.

It will sort itself out. Thank God they are just little.

I teach secondary and genuinely.worry about those in year 10 upwards. It won't be so easy to.sort it for them and we have Gavin Williston as Education secretary?!

I don't know who Gavin Williston is but I bet he would make a better education secretary than the other one!

You are not alone - it is all anyone is talking about at work.

It is so stressful, try to get any break you can in your day

I’ve got a 7yo 4yo and 7mo. We pretty much only get stuff done during the baby’s naps and I’ve focused on reading for the 4yo who is in reception and writing for the 7yo who is ahead in maths so doesn’t need that as much. It’s pretty mad though. I’m really struggling with housework and cooking meals etc. Decided that next week it’s sandwiches every day for lunch because I just can’t cook lunch anymore.

It’s very hard. I teach remotely and have 3 dc. It’s not going to last forever. Keep going and if you’re managing to do any school work with your dc, it’s better than a lot of parents, who do none-& even that doesn’t matter. They will catch up and they will be fine.

We are now having Microsoft teams meetings twice a day. Exh and I had plans to do English one day and maths the next and then try and go outside the flowing day....now we are bound to it twice a day every day. I'm tempted to sack it all. Dd1 is so unsettled.

I hope this is going to make parents a bit more appreciative of teachers after all this.
It's a bit tedious being the whipping boy all the time.

My top tip is to buy a maths or English workbook a year younger than your child and start the day with a couple of pages of each
They whizz through and feel more positive about the rest of the stuff they have to do

@MrsKeats

I hope this is going to make parents a bit more appreciative of teachers after all this. It's a bit tedious being the whipping boy all the time.

I think you have missed what this thread is about quite spectacularly.

Firstly tell the teacher you are struggling, and secondly, do let him hand in his own work, mistakes and all. The teacher should prefer to see what he can complete independently and needs to see what he is struggling with. Mainly though - tell the teacher.