Homeschooling - how are you feeling this evening?

[Jouuuuuuuuule]

I work 4 days (now from home) and both dc (junior school) have learning schedules with daily live video assemblies thrown in. Younger dc needs a lot of handholding, I have to sit next to him, get him started, explain the tasks etc.

I feel so anxious and stressed about 7 weeks (or more of this). I basically feel like a rabbit in the headlight and just want to go to sleep.

How are you all feeling?

I’ve been working all weekend to make up for the hours missed while I was homeschooling two KS1 children and looking after a 2 year old last week, but I’m still behind. So instead of working 8-11 every evening this week I’m going to have to work 8-12, then up with the toddler at 6am, then homeschooling plus trying to get work done all day. Joy.

Dreading it to be honest 3 kids here all different ages and stages all need my support it's hardwork!

My panic is because I have to work and leave my 13 and 17 year old to it

@Kissthepastrychef

That sounds ever such an unreasonable expectation *@Beebityboo*

I agree! *@Beebityboo* your dd is probably a very smart girl and therefore finds it difficult to sit still and stare at a screen for long periods of time. I'd speak to the school and say that dd will only join some of the live lessons.

or whatever you prefer to all of you.
We'll get through this, one day at a time, but it's absolute shit.

I'm not that worried about school work. My DD is only 4 and doesn't always get through everything but I know we manage to upload more than many of the kids in her class. Her writing skills are going downhill but I think she is still young enough that she will be able to catch up quickly when she gets back to school.

I do feel horrendously guilty though about how much screen time she has, I'm constantly worrying about whether she is getting enough exercise (probably not tbh) and I feel bad that she doesn't often get my undivided attention as I also have a demanding toddler at home.

@Thesagacontinues

Really anxious here.

First day back homeschooling tomorrow. Have 7yo ds with asd who needs help to focus. School sent home books which would be manageable, its the live assemblies and video interactions that will cause chaos.

Im wfh full time in finance. We are really busy and my job is so mentally draining and I need to be able to focus.

Last time school just used google classroom which was ok as we did the work in the evenings or weekends, but I cant do that with live assemblies

I too dread the live Google meetings X2. Just thinking about how to set them up and supervise my dc while I'm on video calls myself with senior stakeholders, clients bla bla..... in the first lockdown there was a lot of tolerance to cutting corners but my team are expected to perform and having kids walking in on meetings or arguing over something or simply being loud and silly, I don't feel i can face it.

Thank you. It's just not working and as she gets through the actual work so quick it's so stop/start. Live lessons tomorrow at 9, 10, 11, 1 and the work itself takes her about fifteen minutes, so we spend all day just waiting around to go back on to the life classroom, leaves no time for walks or anything else really. I'm lucky in that I'm just a uni student, I cannot imagine how hard it is for those working full time.

Angry, frustrated, upset.

My youngest is 8 and dyslexic. She can't read what the school send out. We get no teacher interaction. It's all down to us. All we are getting is worksheets emailed at 9am.

Husband and I are both full time. We are going to have to try to fit 'teaching' in around breaks and meetings.

It's totally shit.

@TheMildManneredMilitant

I feel awful. Wfh full time, DC in yr 7 and 5 and a toddler too. Partner looks after the toddler and I supervise the school work. They did their best but still had to play catch up yesterday.

There's just nothing nice to plan or look forward to. Traipsing round the streets in the cold weather, trying to keep distance from everyone doing the same has long since lost any appeal.

I so hear you TheMildManneredMilitant. It's depressing.

I work 4 days a week and have 3 kids having to home school. I feel just the same OP.

@Beebityboo

Whilst the school is doing a great job, I really do think four or five live lessons for a five year old is asking a bit much, DD is sen too with issues around her attention span/sitting still etc so it's just a bit of a nightmare and I end up telling her off because she keeps running off which makes the whole situation even worse. It would be much easier if they just allowed us to do the two registrations a day and let us go at our own pace for the rest, she's just too little for the current set up to work. Not sure what to do.

Its really not possible for any kid of that age, never mind SEN.

No way could my child sit in love lessons. We have 1 in morning and 1 in afternoon & the rest are videos.

Means we can do it at other times too due to work.

Yes it's a real struggle. The register alone takes twenty minutes and DD's name is first 😂. I know I should be grateful that the school are trying so hard but I really feel that year 1 should be similar to reception, much more laid back and submitting work when you can. They won't let us submit work after 3.

Not looking forward to it I have to say, the work DD year 2 is being set seems to need so much more of my input than last lockdown in Yr1.
Also had a message last night to say that instead of school emailing work we have to go collect it from school each week which is a bit of a pita (I'm sure there's good reason for it) as we live a few miles away and can just imagine a queue of parents to get through by the sounds of the set up which takes more time out of work, but never mind.
Anyway I work 3 days from home so plan is do all the easy stuff Mon-Wed, lots of TT rockstars and catch up on the more involved stuff at the end of the week.
Also mornings only as I've realised she works better getting it all done in one go, too many breaks means she goes off the boil!
Luckily DS is in nursery - for now!

Stressed, also worked all weekend so I can spend time during the week helping them - but school haven't sent anything, they've just said to carry on the same (rubbish) work set last week. So now I'm planning tomorrow's work for them. My children are both KS1. Husband is a police officer and seems to be doing longer and longer shifts so not around much to help and I feel very guilty and worried that my career is suffering again.

@EcoCustard

Anxious, stressed and generally fed up tbh. Have two primary kids, and just hoping they don’t close preschool or nursery for my other 2 dc as we will struggle. Been a thoroughly rubbish day today, tired, It’s my 40th birthday today too and frankly I want to hibernate until Easter.

Happy Birthday Do what you can when you can and that's it ...please ...I'm saying this as a teacher

DD 8 school are trialing online zoom lessons this week and she won’t be taking part. They have set out very clear instructions - set up in one room with a plain background, no noise or distractions, no other family members to be in the room but one parent to be sat beside DD the whole time but out of screen shot incase of any problems. Now I’m not sure if 9 month old DS will agree and be happy to safely entertain him self, unsupervised, quietly in another room for the duration of the lesson 😂

Feeling absolutely shit. Teaching 4 days a week, 3 dc, and it was bad enough last time. This time I can throw some of these much desired "live" lessons into the mix along with 2 days a week in my school too. Hope my parents/pupils all like my dcs and the dog as my co stars 👌

Like many parents I’m wondering how on earth we will shove lots of square pegs in round holes tomorrow... WFH and homeschooling 2 kids is entirely incompatible. I say that as someone who only works 32-40 hours a week.

Who will cry first I wonder?

I’ve either got time to
A) work and prep food for lunch and dinner
B) homeschool and prep food

Normally I might bulk cook food or work the weekend to reduce the load next week, but I’ve also got Covid so I’m knackered. Also self employed and no one to pass on the work to do I can rest...

We still have lots of school work to mark / hand in / review from last week but something has to give.

I’m keeping expectations low and preparing to drop some projects which I’ve planned. We won’t starve but it means I’ve invested in various work expenses that I can’t possibly hope to take advantage of now. I can only hope to pare work back to the basics and hope I still have a business at the end of it.

Best case scenario this lasts til Easter. But we might be back here again in the Autumn term. Homeschooling my children isn’t what I invested in my education for.

If this goes on for years we will have broken children and broken parents.

@Norah8

My panic is because I have to work and leave my 13 and 17 year old to it

Glad it’s not just me. Our 2 are 12 and 15 and I hate having to leave them by themselves for 5 days a week.

Luckily DS's school aren't doing live lessons. We would struggle if they were. We can spend a couple of hours each day making sure he does maths and English and then some 'homework' at the weekend to cover some things we haven't had time to do.
The teenager does have live lessons but manages herself.

@Dogscatsandsparrows

Feeling absolutely shit. Teaching 4 days a week, 3 dc, and it was bad enough last time. This time I can throw some of these much desired "live" lessons into the mix along with 2 days a week in my school too. Hope my parents/pupils all like my dcs and the dog as my co stars 👌

Well if DD1 happens to be one of your students you’ll have my 2 year old trying to pull the computer down and shouting into the camera, my 5 year old being nosy and trying to peek over her sisters shoulder and my dog howling in the background while I’m on a work call to a client too so you’ll be in good company!

Dreading it - the Sunday night fear is back!

It's not actually the homeschooling itself - not on its own, anyway. It's the juggling with work and having literally no time to yourself by the time bedtime is over. That's what I find really, really hard.

Completely get why people are stressed... but there's no obligation (at primary level, anyway) to do the set work, is there? Or am I missing something? I mean, what's the worst that can happen if you don't? A phone call maybe?

I've simply told my KS1 child's school that I'll be setting work myself (books to read which he's chosen himself, writing on subjects of his choosing, looking into other subjects he has shown an interest in, etc).

I genuinely can't see how that could be less educational than the school's distance-learning offering which is aimed at a class of 30 instead of just him - though of course, it is great that schools are providing so much stuff this time round for those parents who find it helpful to use it.

@Vick99

Completely get why people are stressed... but there's no obligation (at primary level, anyway) to do the set work, is there? Or am I missing something? I mean, what's the worst that can happen if you don't? A phone call maybe?

I've simply told my KS1 child's school that I'll be setting work myself (books to read which he's chosen himself, writing on subjects of his choosing, looking into other subjects he has shown an interest in, etc).

I genuinely can't see how that could be less educational than the school's distance-learning offering which is aimed at a class of 30 instead of just him - though of course, it is great that schools are providing so much stuff this time round for those parents who find it helpful to use it.

As long as you are teaching him in the same way they do I guess.

He will go back to school at some point and could perhaps struggle due to you teaching him your way.

I am sure that can be overcome but they do learn things in a way that is very different to when I was in school.

I listen to how the teachers do it and then try and encourage him with other examples in the same way.

Friday was our first proper day of learning for DD8. One live half hour lesson and then it was down to us to help her complete three hours of maths, English and science. All needed explanation and constant coaching. Partner helped all morning with the maths, did some English and binned the science completely but can't do this everyday as he has a job to do. This week, god knows. One live lesson and then no other engagement isn't really helpful. One of my co-workers in the US has had his son home since last summer but their state school has delivered a proper curriculum. The uk had all this time and we still have huge disparities in what is being delivered. I actually help design e-learning and even adults would struggle to do what is being asked of some children. My mantra is we do what we can, and if necessary use a private tutor in the summer to catch up. Not everyone will be able to do that. Good luck everyone, let's do this!