My children are fine with being at home...

[HmmSureJan]

And were happy they didn't have to go back to school yet. Dd doesn't like the on line work but days it's better than being at school so grins and bears it. Anyone else? I only ask because I see so many threads on here speaking of ruined childhoods and devastated children who have been abandoned to their fate. I just wondered if anyone had children like mine 🤷🏼‍♀️

It's very small things I notice. My 14 yo dd has always bitten her nails till they were sore. I could have cried looking at them at times. During the last lockdown she stopped biting them completely, started again when she went back in September - although seemed happy enough in other ways stopped over Christmas holidays and we shall see what happens now.

My girls love it but I'm an ex teacher and available to help and they are both introverts.

I can understand why it would be hugely difficult in different circumstances.

@herethereandeverywhere how old are they? Maybe try not restricting screens for a while? At the moment screens provide the majority of their work, entertainment and socialising. We’ve not really restricted screens at all anyway since the kids went to secondary and it hasn’t caused any issues. They both do their homework (one with more nagging than the other) and do other things, like playing instruments, baking etc.

My two prefer being at home but they are close in age and are the very best of friends so I expect that’s why. Clearly they would prefer not to be doing any school work but will ‘grin and bear it’ just as I will.

@PriceEmUp

Unpopular opinion but I think a good chunk of the ‘my child really misses school they shouldn’t close they MUST attend’ are because the parents just don’t want to home educate for this period, or that they dread the children being home in general.

I’m sure a good amount of children are absolutely thrilled not to be going to school.

You don’t see kids crying over the summer holidays do you?

I do think there are a small amount that do need it though. Those with not the best home lives perhaps? Sad thought though.

My child was elated at school being closed, up until the point that the school sent the work through via email and she had to start working.

We have the space and facilities to help her with her work however she would much rather do her own thing than the list of work that gets sent home. We have had no online support, they don't check in at all or at least didn't last time and looking at everything that has been sent it's not going to be any better (not even accounted for the fact yesterday was an inset day and have sent home 5 days worth of work for this week) I'm not particularly confident that this is going to be a positive experience for her despite anything I can do to help

Also an only child so missing the social aspect too

I'm pretty sure mine would have loved being at home, doing own thing and would have achieved a lot more than being at school. I too would have loved not going to school (but would have achieved less ).

We're all different.

Good for you for posting this, you are just being honest, nothing to feel bad about! Ignore any smarmy comments. Also, @LittleRen are you me? You have just described my exact life - 3 pretty happy boys & the 3 yr old chuffed to hang out with his bros for a little longer. I did have to explain homeschool means they’ll have to wear something other than pj’s though!

My year 10 hates it; she's understandably worried about GCSEs and how much practical work shes missing for sciences, drama and art and she's missing her friends.

My year 4 just wants to be with his friends and even says he's missing his teachers (who are lovely)

My two teenagers are fine too. No upset or drama. They just get on with it. We laugh and joke at mealtimes, keep a sensible routine, they do their homework and are now online learning. As a family we take the view it’s swings and roundabouts and are looking forward to being vaccinated hopefully by summer. Neither are on social media, at first because I said it’s a bad idea till you are older and by the time they were 13/14 and I raised it again they thought Snapchat etc were all stupid and now roll their eyes at tiktok etc. I think this keeps a lot of pressure off them. My friends used to say “they won’t have any friends Yellow” but they have friends without the gossip and nonsense. One of them is a book worm and the other isn’t. I’ve name changed because I know having happy teenagers will send a few “smug so and so” my way. I do think their education will take a hit but there’s not much we can do about that.

I think a lot of kids do lie being at home as have facilities to speak to thier mates online etc

However, as mentioned online learning isn't as good as the clsssroom, so falling behind is inevitable.

Plus they shouid be out socialising with mates etc

Also v hard for working parents

My one remaining child of school age (sixth form) is desperately miserable, and wants to go back.

I could have coped with the wording of your original post, @HmmSureJan, but something about the emoji on the end of it really riled me. Lockdown must be getting to me already.

My year 8 daughter has thrived being at home. Her mental health began to deteriorate when she started year 7 to the point we were referred to CAHMS.

Since school closed shes blossomed, so between us we have decided that for at least the next year she will be de-registered from school and we will be officially home educating. We'll reasses after a year and see where we are.

My ds doesnt really mind either way. But dd was absolutely thrilled she actually still cries about when she has to go back. Just wants to be home schooled.

My kids very happy to be home.

Mine aren't that bothered. They moan about being bored but they still talk to their friends online every day. It's not ideal but at the same time not the end of the world.

I think that's probably the case for the vast majority. Some will obviously struggle more than others, and some will just have parents who like to catastrophise due to their own issues and anxieties.

One of mine likes home learning, one of them desperately misses their friends. All kids are different.

HmmSureJan: Don't apologise, of course we are allowed to discuss children who enjoy not going to school. All children are different.

I said earlier that I know mine would have loved it. He had friends and a good social life but was very focussed on a few things and would have worked all hours at those, on his own. In his work he travels all over the world but has loved working at home during lockdown, undisturbed, and has been quite creative and inventive. Of course, he is in contact with other people - generally people of like mind.

When it is time to go back to work in the 'normal' way again, he will adapt soon enough but always look back on this time fondly as it has been so productive. It will be the same for many kids going back to school or uni.

We can't generalise about people, they are individuals.

My introverted year 12 dd is happier at home than going out although she has a lot of friends and they communicate by phone or messaging all the time; she's like this even without being locked down. It just depends on their personality I suppose. We also have a reasonably comforable home with the technology she needs for online learning. I'm out of the house about half the time which gives her some space without leaving her alone too much.
I can see though, how hard it could be for younger children, those who have to share resources with their siblings, or who are missing sporting activities and hobbies. I can't imagine trying to homeschool while working from home. It just coincidentally happens that we live a very quiet life anyway so it hasn't changed much for us. My dd was already attending college 'virtually' part of the time due to social distancing being impossible if all the students were physically in class.

I was thinking that schools must have changed a lot since my day. It wasn't a place you yearned to be.

My kids are doing great, one really thrived outside of school setting working one on one with me but I have the time to homeschool them properly, or I have the time to prioritise it. The other kid did well too but would be happier in school than out.

And we have a screen ban til each evening so they're having to find more creative ways of entertaining themselves and each other.
That being said I would really, really like them to go back to school so I can get on with my normal life.

Having said that my DS loves his SEN school but it's a bit different to the average school in that they do more fun stuff and the staff treat them like royalty.

My DS was really happy school is closed and glad to be at home, but homeschooling him is such a challenge.

My Yr5 DC is delighted to be home again. Mainly so that he doesn't have to see the bullies in his class every day for another few weeks, and apparently the lunches are nicer at home than at school. He can still see his friends over Zoom after school/at weekends, and at least with this lockdown we can get outside for walks/bike rides - we had 2 separate self isolation periods last term where we couldn't leave the house at all which was harder. Online learning is a bit of a struggle as he's easily distracted but he'll get there. So yes, much happier in our house than if he'd been going back to school today.

Do they have any sympathy for families whose children struggle coping with school in normal times. Because, however long this lockdown lasts many children will spend more time being miserable in school during their school lifetime, than other children will during lockdown.

This. My DD suffered greatly through years of high school, bullying due to SEN. She would have thrived in this time (I wasn't able to home ed.) She's much preferring uni life though and missing that and missing her partner a lot but still coping really well.

I really think it's important we get a balance on these things and the whole 'ruining lives' narrative doesn't become the dominant one that then becomes self-fulfilling for children themselves.

My dd was very tearful last night because she doesn’t like the idea of being stuck inside for 6 weeks with no activities etc.

However she is happy to be learning online as says she actually learns more as she isn’t distracted by chatting and listening to others!
Also, she was being bullied at school, just low level but still upsetting, so she’s not missing that and hoping that it will all be over and forgotten by the time the schools reopen...

Ds feels that he doesn’t learn as much at home but is doing okay and happy not to be travelling on the train anymore.