Are your secondary children still working?

[tootyfruitypickle]

I’ve got a y7. She struggled massively at the start emotionally, so just did core subjects, I managed to get her doing full timetable post May half term. She’s massively struggling again now- and by struggling I mean with her mental health. I’d said she should stop on the 11th but now I’m thinking maybe call it a day this friday. The problem is she is a fairly high achiever , very conscientious , and she says she’ll worry if she stops early.

How are your kids? Are they still working or is it a case of enough is enough now ?

Y9 and Y6 still working. Y6 finishes next Friday, but Y9's term runs until 22nd July!

Yep her term runs to 22nd but she won’t be going longer than the 11th, I’ve already decided that.

YR 9 DC is still working hard. She is getting a lot of work still. She had three live lessons today and spent several hours doing a history project and biology work.

Yr 7 dd. She has about an hours work now a day. It started off being about 5 hours. He has zero motivation now.

I'm quite worried about the long term effects now.

She’s get a ton of work and lots of zoom. It’s too much

She is just so depressed. It’s awful to see. I can’t work out if giving up earlier would make her feel worse . She’s ok with 11th as they were meant to be on a school trip the following week.

My secondary is doing a full programme of lessons each day, expected at their desk for normal school hours with a break for lunch and this has been going on since two weeks before lockdown. They even have PE and music. I’m astonished with the amount of work being done whilst I argue with the younger one and practically beg them to write a single word. never would I have managed this level of commitment at their age. I don’t know whether to be admiring or horrified.

I'm sorry to hear she's depressed, but is she not likely to get v anxious about missing work? My Y9 works very hard, and occasionally moans about the amount they have been set (too much), but she'd be far more stressed and anxious if she didn't do the work.

My yr 9 is still doing full time table until lunchtime on the 17th. That would have been when he stopped if he was at school so that is what he will do at home. My yr5 DD will stop work on the Wednesday 15th, as they would have leavers service and watch a film on the Thursday and toy day on the Friday were they at school.
I look at it as if worked from home I wouldn't log off a week before my leave started so why should the kids.

Yes but motivation seriously waining!

@W00t yes she would worry which is my quandary. For now I’ve said she should drop the subjects she is unlikely to take at gcse.

@Duckfinger I think that an 11 year olds work ethic should not be held up to a salaried adult

Yes, year 10 doing full time table, 6 hours in actual school, the rest at home. We’ve kept to normal school hours the whole way through. She’s got GCSEs next year so is keen to keep up with the work

My year 7 DC is no longer working. Stopped about 6 weeks ago. High anxiety and asd. We've just had to give up because he was getting more and more miserable, and arguments every day. Huge relief now we're near to the end of term. His teacher says there are lots of kids in the same boat. Sorry you're struggling op, but just write off year 7 and start again in September - that's my plan anyway!

Can you spread the work, so that she does some after school has finished? Or does it have to be submitted before the end of term?

@ChanklyBore they have Pe on zoom , it’s compulsory but I haven’t even bothered to fight that one with her. Healthier for us to go for a daily walk together and chat etc

Mental health is much more important- do what's best for her.

Tempted also to knock it all on the head ....

I'm still sending lessons to all my classes. Fewer than half of them are sending me any evidence of work now, having been over 75% for the majority of lockdown. I can't say for definite that this is because they aren't doing it at all, but that certainly seems the most likely explanation.

What the reasons are for not doing any of the work I'm sending are is unclear. Some are probably being lazy, but others will be having similar anxiety and mental health issues as your dd.

My dd is year 5, and is doing the bare minimum now. Both of us are working full time, partly from home and partly on site. So what she can manage independently gets done, anything she needs much parental input with doesn't really.

God no she won’t do anything after school finishes ! I think I’ll encourage her to do as much as poss until Friday 11th then. Then the next week and a half she will be happy if I set her to do a lot of reading and she likes writing , but I will stop structured school work

@MsAwesomeDragon. Thank you that has really helped. I have noticed from the way the school has communicated that her pattern seems to be what the majority of the year are following (early on the school only suggested they work mornings , and then built it up, which is what we were doing independently anyway). So I am assuming there are a lot feeling like her .

I think y9 is a bit different tbh. My dd is still 11.

Well- you know her best! For my Y6 though, before Easter it really helped him that I said he could just do half the lessons, and catch the others up in the Easter holiday- he was getting v anxious about how much needed doing, but that helped structure his time in the holiday too, as DH and I were still WFH FT.

Year7 ds hanging on by the skin of his teeth. Full timetable.
If I’m honest I’m doing most of it! But it does sink in, he has processing issues and adhd, if he had nothing at all to do we’d go insane. We’re in the penultimate week. Counting down the days

My kids are working. I'm assuming that younger one (y9) will be getting work until the end of term.

@Mitzdob totally agree. Nothing is more important

I’ve got some time off from early August. Til then she’s having to amuse herself .

Yes y10