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AIBU?

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Original poster

To tell teacher " we were having far too much fun in the garden this weekend to do homework!!!!

92 replies

stoppinattwo · 12/05/2008 08:15

Or does the truth hurt??

They have SATS this week and again DS has been stressing about it on friday . He got very upset and worried. So i Thought bugger it... no homework this weekend and lets all play in the garden ....so we did

Im in the process of sending teach a letterr explaining that DS hasnt done his hwork and that is my fault not his, and I thought he really neede to chill out this weekend after being so upset.....and leading up to a busy week this week.

Please dont bite me about it

OP posts:
smartiejake · 12/05/2008 22:14

Most teachers I know don't agree with homework anyway. If we had our way, spellings (no more than 10 and relevant), tables and reading (to parents and by parents)would be the only homework to do.

DD2 had her QCA year 4 tests last week and she still got homework! She gets a ridiculous amount, most of it copying up into best (for her neat freak teacher who thinks presentation is more important than content!)DD1 is in year 7 and she gets hardly anything! (Hooray- more time for friends and dancing)

Original poster
stoppinattwo · 12/05/2008 22:54

Oh twinset i really think that some people forget that life is a jog and not a sprint....we spend so much time dont we, trying to ensure and focus on what hurdles we can get over and miss all the good stuff as it rushes by.....and well what happens at the end of the race

I find myself in a constant battle with myself not to focus just on results and to actually listen to my kids without allowing them to be spoilt(well trying).

you know on sunday we all walked (me and 6 kids!!!) to the park, i knew it was going to thunder and bucket down but i thought oh what the heck!!!

We got absolutely drenched but it was THE biggest giggle.....ds said to me today, "mum you are the silliest mum but yesterday in the park was good fun" They will remember the day out in the storm.

OP posts:
3littlefrogs · 13/05/2008 08:20

Dd has not been given any homework since last Thursday. Teacher says playing outside and relaxing is much more important, but reading a book at bedtime would be good.

constancereader · 13/05/2008 08:28

I am a teacher who hates homework.
They are only little, they work hard enough at school.
I only ever gave homework due to pressure from parents tbh (obviously not parents like you!)

OrmIrian · 13/05/2008 08:39

homework! Just before SATs. That's not fair That's been the saving grace for my DS. No hw for the last week or so.

bozza · 13/05/2008 08:40

Actually I find that DS does his homework far better at a weekend than after school when he is need of chill out time. DS's homework is set on Friday to hand in by Wednesday so we have either option but DS has beavers on Monday and football on Tuesday. He normally does it pyjama clad after breakfast on either Saturday or Sunday. If he doesn't get it done either of those times then I find after breakfast on Monday to be the next best option.

bozza · 13/05/2008 08:43

DS did his homework this weekend as normal (at about 8.30 ish on Sunday am but still managed to fit in playing for his football team, time in the garden with his cousin and his sister's birthday party) and he is in a SATS year (Y2) but I am not sure the word has ever passed his lips. He is totally unaware and therefore unstressed.

chefswife · 14/05/2008 10:16

I haven?t had experience with SATS and we never did this type of testing in primary school? you had math and spelling but not like this testing. It sounds to me that it is designed more to give a grading of the school opposed to tweaking the curriculum for the children. Even in highschool we never had the homework load you hear of these younger children. I?d make sure my kids were playing more outside of school? they sit on the ass most of the day at school with heads buried in studying.

Fennel · 14/05/2008 10:22

You can always discuss knowledgably with the teacher how recent educational research confirms previous findings that homework at primary school makes no long term academic difference.

not that I need to, our teachers aren't keen on homework, yr 2 child gets none and yr 3 child gets optional work.

but if it's SATS week why not write in book "DS seemed tired and I thought it would be good if he was fresh for SATS week" they can't really complain then.

honeyapple · 14/05/2008 10:25

I rarely make my son do all the homework he is supposed to do... and have discussed this with his teacher (who is fairly supportive). He is in year 4 and is set-

reading 15mins at least every night
spellings- 10 to learn plus write them in a sentance.
times tables sheet every week
maths sheet x2 every week
plus topic work every other week...

I think it is a ridiculous amount. I have no memory of homework when I was in primary school... I hate moaning at him to do his homework- surely I can wait to do this when he is secondary school?

bozza · 14/05/2008 10:27

Oh apparently DS had a "funny spelling test" yesterday which involved a picture of a farm and writing things in a box. I assume this was a SAT but who knows. And he had a late night on Monday, thanks to the really long beavers hike we went on (when I hardly saw him as he was running ahead with friends) compounded by his hayfever affecting his sleep.

bozza · 14/05/2008 10:34

Well I think we had reading and spellings didn't we? But we just called them reading and spellings rather than homework.

Fennel · 14/05/2008 10:37

I won't moan at them. If they're not in the mood, we don't do it. Not any of it. reading or spelling or whatever.

but I do really encourage the fun bits of learning - reading for fun, maths for fun. languages for fun. you can be keen on education without buying into all the homework and testing crap.

Doodle2U · 14/05/2008 10:44

Not got time to read whole thread at the moment Stopin, but

ABSOLUTELY, 100% GOOD FOR YOU!

Met two twins in year 6 at our school, and their mother, and they'd not been sleeping last week because of worry re: SATS.

10 year old children - sleepless nights & stress????

My DS is yr 2 and just finished his - I couldn't give a tinker's dick about is marks and think playing in the garden adds more to his life skills than SATS ever will, quite frankly.

cadelaide · 14/05/2008 10:51

stoppinattwo....I can beat that.

DD is doing Y2 SATS.

Well DP and I had a ponder and decided that, as she isn't actually learning anything much whilst she's being tested it should be a good time for a skive. So we took a sickie and ran off to London. Saw the sights, very educational IMO.

I have a teensy bit of guilt about "letting down" the school, I do think it's important that DCs see us supporting it, but looking at the wider picture we have no doubt that our approach will be better for the DCs in the longer term.

By the way, has anyone ever posted in support of SATS?

Ever?

StarlightMcKenzie · 14/05/2008 10:51

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

cadelaide · 14/05/2008 10:55

Re the homework thing, bollocks waste of time IMO.

I'd rather the teachers were spending their valuable time thinking up fun lessons than mucking about marking waste-of-time homework.

StarlightMcKenzie · 14/05/2008 10:56

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

TimeForMe · 14/05/2008 11:16

Good for you I say! My dd is only five and every Friday we get 10 spellings to learn, a homework sheet to complete and a reading book that has to be read. Everything has to be handed in on Monday. Far too much in my opinion but her teacher is a bit of a dragon and I'm too scared to rebel

I'm looking forward to year two though when she will have a whole week to read book, complete homework and hand in.

NikkiH · 14/05/2008 11:53

Good for you! Homework is the bane of our lives. We get it set on a Friday to be handed in on a Tuesday and leads to arguements most weekends with DS1 as to when it's going to be done. It's rarely done with full concentration and ability as he's trying to rush through it so he can go out to play or watch something on TV.

What I hate most though is homework in the school holidays. We don't take our kids out of school during term time to go on holiday so why should the school set them homework to do during our time with our children especially as most holidays we like to go away and spend time as a family somewhere.

I've already broached the subject of holiday homework for the May half term week as we're going away with extended family including much younger children and staying in one house so homework would be nigh on impossible. I've been told that homework will just be to design a Victorian costume to create and wear on Victorian Day when they go back to school. Think a spot of internet shopping with my flexible friend might get us out of this one!

kizzie · 14/05/2008 11:53

YANBU - I bloody hate homework.

Of course we should all help our children learn to read at home etc.

But the boring week in week out homework in primary school is just a waste of time.

cadelaide · 14/05/2008 12:41

I recently went to a meeting at DS's primary school, aimed at showing the parents how they teach maths nowadays. It was informative and helpful.

However, at the end of the meeting the parents started braying for more homework to be set. I was the only one (and i mean the only one) amongst 35-40 parents, who thought more homework unnecessary.

I don't think it's the teachers that want homework, I think it's parents that demand it much of the time.

casbie · 14/05/2008 12:42

i would say that a teacher's job is to encourage learning, not dictate homework/parental help with every aspect of reading, writing and maths.

and yes, i have said that to a teacher before!!

lol!

TsarChasm · 14/05/2008 12:46

YANBU. SATS . Homework

I'm not greatly in favour of either.

AbbeyA · 14/05/2008 12:49

I think that you will find that parents pressurise for homework-I don't think teachers are too keen on it. It is a controversial subject-any school meeting about it is split between parents who want more and parents (like me) who want less.

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