The Nightmare that is HOMEWORK

[NewYearNewThinking]

Hi all - first off I admit to namechanging on here. As my new name suggests, I am trying adopting a new approach to my thinking from now on forward - this is in relation to all aspects of my life, so I expect you will see me on various other forums also rather than lurking in the background

So, for my first missive as my new persona .....

Homework!

Year 3 child - indie school - ridiculous amount of homework each day - my opinion is its too much BUT we've committed to this school and have to roll with it.

Tbh I am at a loss of how to get across to DD (age 7) how homework is not optional - and it's far better for her to just get on with it without the usual delaying palarva which ends up in my patience being tested to (I am ashamed to admit it) shouting

I know I need to take ten - breathe - and try and be bright and breezy about it.

Please share your words of wisdom - I really don't want to be that shouty mommy anymore - it's counter productive and I fear will nibble away at our relationship. I just feel at the moment the whole end of school day homework thing is such a negative factor in our lives.

Help! Please?

Great tips - thanks. Great idea to shift the telling off onto school and away from me.

I think we will sit down and have a chat about it - maybe she can draw up her own timetable of after school time and let her split time between play and homework.

Dunno.

Would that work?

I work in an indie school. We are expected by management to give out, imo, ridiculous amounts of homework. It does help the children achieve but that is difficult to get across to a 7yo.
Have you tried a star chart? Does the school give out any incentives to encourage bribe the children with their homework? For instance, I give house points for quality homework.
Could you speak to the teacher? Good luck!

1. Get into a routine of doing it pretty much straight away when they get home, certainly before being allowed to watch TV or play a computer game.

1. If the child refuses to start doing homework, accept that decision but explain that (a) there will be no TV/computer game/playing in garden until it's done and (b) if they still haven't done it by the time it's due then you will be writing a note to the teacher to explain why. You shouldn't have to do (b) more than once!

1. Make sure they aren't doing too much. What do you mean by a ridiculous amount of homework each day? Have the teachers given you an idea of how long it should be taking? In Y3, DD's spelling practice alone was taking forty minutes every evening because she was a slow writer. When I explained to the teacher, she suggested other ways that DD could learn the spellings until her writing speed improved (which it did).