I need some help, it’s day two and I’m really struggling. My son is 9, in year 4. The school set work online that needs to be done each day, but each day is a nightmare and I end up shouting and we both end up stressed. I just don’t know what to expect from a 9 year old regards doing the work himself.
For example today, he has to read some info and create a fact file. So we read the information together, watched a video on how to make a fact file. I told him how to get started, we did a spider diagram thing of ideas and then I told him to crack on. For the next 3 hours, I pop in and out asking how it’s going, but each time he’s staring at the paper. I ask if he needs help, I explain how to do it again, etc. And in all the time from 9am til now, he’s wrote 5 lines. Unless I literally tell him exactly what to write, or do it for him, he just sits there doing nothing. And then unfortunately today, I’ve shouted, said he can’t go on Xbox later and now he’s upset and crying. I feel awful. There’s four other pieces of work to do today. How can I get better and not shout? Am I being unreasonable, and do all 9 year olds need a constant level of support/telling him the answers? Is this what teachers do? I don’t know how to get round this, or if I’m expecting too much. I feel awful that I’m all he’s got to learn from for the next few months.
Yesterday, he had to answer some questions, we talked through the answers but he doesn’t seem to have any ideas himself. I gave him a few ideas and left him to write them down, and an hour later he’s wrote one tiny thing that doesn’t make sense.
Everyday I wake up, thinking we’ll have fun learning together today, but everyday descends into arguments. I feel like the worst mum in the world! Please be kind and help me!