Anyone else not done any work during the holidays?

[Cortina]

I had high hopes of doing a little a day but so far, apart from reading every other day (very little, just a couple of pages at night), we've done nothing.

DS will be going into Y2 in Sept, am I the only one?

Beginning to feel like I should be doing more?

DS is more interested in making dens in the garden and having a long break doing, well, not very much at all really. That's ok, isn't it?

I've done quite a lot myself (teacher)

Boy - not so much.

He's doing the library challenge thing, we've read two books so far. Have started doing a "diary" for school (he's going into Year 1 so it's not exactly detailed!)

Other than that, we've been having fun.

Two hours per day is a little different, and so is housework. If you have a job, would you do two hours of it a day in your holiday?

Yes it is a hardship if your 5-6yo DS normally won't do any homework anyway!
I spent 90 min. listening to DS scream a paddy getting DS to write 6 word phrases in his Easter-holiday Caribbean report (work set by school). Not an experience I wish to repeat any time soon.

No, certainly nothing formal!

I have been working on DD's fine motor skills, but she has no idea. She thinks we have been playing Hama beads, drawing, cutting, sticking.

She has learned to ride a bike, has very, very nearly learned to swim, and has learned that if you hit the girl from down the road she won't want to play with you any more. All very valuable things to learn, IMO.

Feenie, i would rather spend two hours a day, helping my dc's with their work in the summer holidays than in term time.
My dc's are much more alert during the holidays as they are less tired, however during term time they find it difficult to do anything after a six hour day. I use the holidays to brush up on their basic skills .
I did the same with my dd's last year and they found it much easier to settle back into school life after the holidays and they have done really well.

2 hours each? Or 2 hours between several kids?

2 hours for 1 kid does seem like an awful lot to me.

I haven't done any work with my NT kid - but school asked him to write a diary and he has done that unasked.

However with DS1 who has SN I have taught him to type and he has to do 10 minutes of Occupational Therapy every day, and my DD who also has SN I have made her do 10 mins reading every day.

But you haven't answered my question, forehead - do you work, and when it's your holiday do you do two hours a day? Why not?

No work here either. I agree with you scooby - its been great to have some unstructured, laid back time. We've also been catching up with friends who don't live locally and therefore are very difficult to find time to see in term time. So far been to Ipswich, Birmingham - and off to Kent tomorow!!

Feenie, i work full time and i often work during my holidays. I take it that you have a problem with the fact that my dc's work during the holidays. I don't see anything wrong with doing some extra schoolwork if it means that they don't struggle for the whole year.

I don't particularly have a problem with you working with your dcs in the holidays - although little and often using activities like cooking, shopping, enjoying books, etc, would be better. Do what you like - but for two hours, every day? Give them a break. Everyone needs a holiday - and I refuse to believe you do two hours work every single day in your holidays.

Forehead - if your kids struggle for the whole year, surely there is a problem with their teacher? Or with your expectations?

I have a problem with my expectations. I know that DS is far brighter then his school marks indicate - but in the end that is my problem (and to some extent his teachers problem) not his. Making him work in the holidays won't improve his grade - changing his attitude to school will (not that I have any idea how to do that :) )

DS, going into Yr 3, has read voraciously for pleasure. He has written his holiday diary (set by his Yr 3 teacher-to-be) with the air of a man condemned to die imminently, and has not practised the piano at all. So a good balance, I feel.

Feenie, i am self employed, so i DO work during the holidays. In fact i work more than two hours a day. I still manage to do the usual things such as swimming, visits to museums etc My dc's are happy, well adjusted individuals, who appreciate the fact that they have a mother who is able to help them with their schoolwork. As i said previously two hours a day is nothing.
IndigoBell, i have no problems with my dc's teachers, but i am aware that there are between twenty five and thirty children in a class and i don't want my children to fall behind. I believe that parental involvement is really important at this age. I have seen too many parents relying on the schools to educate their dc's and then they wonder why their dc's leave primary school not being able to read or do basic maths.

Forehead, I can only repeat that everyone needs - and deserves - a holiday. Two hours a day is ridiculous. I feel sorry for your children.

Feenie, as a teacher you should know better.

It's exactly because I am a teacher that I do know better, and I would say this with concern to any parent of a child in my class whi did this - I fully appreciate your willingness to be so involved in your child's education, and welcome it, but you are going to the other extreme. Two hours is excessive, and you risk undoing the good that you could do using a shorter period per day, and some of the excellent activities that others have described here.

As a teacher my DCs have also not done any 'work'.

They have played. They have sat around doing nothing but watch TV or playing wii.

It is their holidays. The have worked hard during term time and they need a rest.

DD has, of her own accord, started writing a story on the computer.

They have both been reading books for their own pleasure.

But I wouldn't dream of making them sit down for 2 hours a day to do some work. Children need the holidays I find to rest and assimilate their learning.

If you had read my posts Feenie, you would see that i mentioned that my children DO other things. You should not concern yourself with children who are excelling academically and have been described by their teachers as happy and confident children, you should concern yourself with children whose parents cannot be arsed to help their kids and as a result their children are failing.
Let's agree to disagree.

I can agree to disagree if you like. But be under no illusion - if your dcs were in my class, I would be equally as concerned about their 2 hours a day, sit down and work-during-your-holidays, as I am about the children whose parents do diddly squat.

But forehead do they do nothing?

Feenie - I really find it hard to believe that you would be just as 'concerned' about a DC doing two hours a day school work as you would a child who gets no support? I find it odd that so many mums say their children are so busy with swimming lessons, holiday activities, visiting long lost friends and relations, camping, museum trips etc etc ALL THE TIME that they can't fit any school work in - my DS does all that but there is still loads of time to do some homework - I am too lazy to enforce two hours a day but I do insist on some. EG; today we have lined up an hour of swimming, a visit to a castle and picnic, quick trip round the supermarket and library, playing in the park and BBQ with friends tonight. I know he has already had an hour watching TV this morning so there is plenty of time to do some homework and all the extra holiday 'fun' stuff. If I don't put a bit of 'homework' in - the spare time would be just spent on more tv/computer which surely isn't a good thing? Or should I being finding even more 'constructive' activities for a very energetic and lively 9 year old?

I see nothing wrong with "a bit of 'homework'". But two hours a day of sit down work in the holidays would cause me as much concern for that child as for the child who isn't helped at all - for different resons, obviously. I've seen the results of children pushed too hard, and they are never good.

reasons

I'm a teacher and HATE holiday homework for my son, but each summer they are set a big project. Not sure what would happen if we didn't do it.....not much they can do really.

He has to do an autobiography ready for the start of year 2. We only started it yesterday.

So, that means lots of hunting out photos etc etc for me, and minimising battles with him.

He does plenty of learning in the holidays without sitting down doing homework.
Like other people have said....cooking (he reads the receipe book, weighs out ingredients), lego for hours on end (following instructions), playing outside, learning to occupy himself (i don't let the watch tv that much), friends, zoo, train journeys, camping.......all the things we struggle to fit in during term time.

And very sadly I have to do some work otherwise it would all go a bit pear-shaped in September.

Do children in general have homework set by school over the holidays?

DD is in Reception. She has to do 4 A4 pages (pictures, writing, photos etc) of what she did over the holidays.

DS1 is going into Year 2. He had to keep a diary of a week of the holidays (2 A4 sheets of writing), 2 sheets of work on letters and 2 reading books. His teacher also asked us to work on multiplication tables.

DS2 is going into Year 3. He has the same 2 sheets of A4 diary of a week in the holidays, plus a reading book.

So before we do any other "work" that has to be done.

Is this normal?