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Original poster

How are you approaching homelearning this time?

69 replies

museumum · 22/12/2020 10:56

Mainly I'm interested in those working from home and homelearning primary age children...

what's your plan?

I'm supposed to be back at work on Wed 6th. Think I'll have to take that day off, DH has offered to take Friday 8th off.
Week beg. 11th I've got some BIG meetings Wed and Thur which need lots of prep and my undivided attention but I'm thinking about taking days off around them . Or maybe working evenings again like lockdown 1.

I JUST. CAN'T. do my job and supervise homelearning at the same time. My work ends up shit and needing re-done and my children get neglected, they're not able to work in 'exam conditions' at their age, they need help when they need it, not two hours later.

OP posts:
Jellycatspyjamas · 22/12/2020 14:12

I’ve worked extra this week to give me time off for the first week and my DH is taking time off to cover the following week. Any longer abd it’s going to get very tricky, my job is one where I need to be present in a confidential space either for 1:1 or group meetings. kids are 7 and 9, both with additional support needs they cannot entertain themselves for hours at a time while I work much less self educate.

Arkadia · 22/12/2020 14:37

With a big shrug.
In all honesty it is not worth the effort. IF it does last for a week it doesn't matter. If it lasts indefinitely, you will lose motivation as time goes by.
From experience I can tell you, do what interests you and your kids, shun the projects and live day by day. At primary level it won't matter a jot.

blowinahoolie · 22/12/2020 14:46

Will be outdoors for my sanity with the two preschoolers, but the others will be able to do their work on their own.

It's best mentally to just accept this will be a week long. If it ends up longer, will cross that bridge nearer the time.

Y0uCann0tBeSer10us · 22/12/2020 15:26

If we can't get my toddler into nursery, I guess I'll be back to working well into the night every day to do my work, while taking zoom meetings on mute on my tablet in the playroom. We'll have to set my son up with some kind of computer to do any online work either way, but I'm not sure which ones as we're both supposed to be working. If it's anything like last time though, the work will be done in half an hour anyway.

If it rolls on past the 18th of January (as seems likely to me - I take all end dates with a huge pinch of salt at this point) I don't know how I'll physically cope with the long days. My mental health is hanging by a thread as it is.

Invisimamma · 22/12/2020 16:23

I have no extra annual leave left as I took most of it during the first lockdown. I'm hoping school will be more on the ball with setting work and engaging with children this time. But even then my P2 needs a lot of input and support and my P6 does the bare minimum and needs to be set very clear expectations.

Dp works in a hospital so there's no splitting the day between us, if it lasts a week I can survive, if its any longer I'm not sure I will cope again. Work was pretty understanding and flexible first time round but things have ramped up, I have more work and some big projects to complete in the new year, future work and funding rides on them so I need to be on the ball. Although many of my colleagues will be in the same situation, although their partners might be able to share the load.

Original poster
museumum · 22/12/2020 16:42

@Arkadia

With a big shrug. In all honesty it is not worth the effort. IF it does last for a week it doesn't matter. If it lasts indefinitely, you will lose motivation as time goes by. From experience I can tell you, do what interests you and your kids, shun the projects and live day by day. At primary level it won't matter a jot.
I’m not very bothered about the school work - more how to get the adult’s work done? The work that pays the bills.
OP posts:
Jellycatspyjamas · 22/12/2020 16:56

From experience I can tell you, do what interests you and your kids, shun the projects and live day by day. At primary level it won't matter a jot.

I sadly don’t get paid for baking with my kids, making collages out of foraged leaves and building Lego towers. And my DD has ASN, it matters quite a lot that she gets appropriate teaching geared to her specific difficulties. Luckily I have a private tutor helping me with that, otherwise she’d simply fall even further behind.

BiscuitDrama · 22/12/2020 17:04

I’m presuming it’ll be easier. When our primary school has had a class all isolating they’ve had a few hours a day of video lessons. This is quite different to what they provided in spring.

Original poster
museumum · 22/12/2020 17:13

@BiscuitDrama

I’m presuming it’ll be easier. When our primary school has had a class all isolating they’ve had a few hours a day of video lessons. This is quite different to what they provided in spring.
I’d love that! When we isolated for a week we got a sheet of “things to do together” Angry plus Sumdog so Sumdog it was for ds.
OP posts:
Ace1185 · 22/12/2020 17:14

With distaste!

BiscuitDrama · 22/12/2020 17:22

Was that the whole class off though, museum ?

daisychains8 · 22/12/2020 17:36

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

daisychains8 · 22/12/2020 17:49

Sorry- ignore above. Posted on wrong thread!

Original poster
museumum · 22/12/2020 18:16

@BiscuitDrama

Was that the whole class off though, museum ?
Yes. One class of 30 in a 2.5 classes per year school.
OP posts:
KatySun · 22/12/2020 18:33

I am a bit grumpy about it, to be honest - single parent, working FT (luckily from home). Planning on doing some stuff daily over the holidays, starting at the crack of dawn from 6th January to get some stuff done before DC wake up, and taking a couple of days off the week of the 11th. I have a big project to do, so the timing is not ideal. But I have a job, and I can be a bit flexible aside from one day when I have meetings right through, so these things are a big plus.
My bigger concern is that the schools won’t go back on the 18th.

Invisimamma · 22/12/2020 19:00

Our school has a 'home learning policy' it says we can expect 30mins a day of teacher being online on Teams to 'interact with the class' (during isolation she read a novel to them). Each teacher will also be allocated 15 minutes per day to reply to any comments on Teams and mark work. Yes, 15 minutes. What are they doing the rest of the day!?

My kids have been sent home today with a home learning pack, it contains a prit stick, white board, blank jotter and some colouring pens. But no actual worksheets or any indication of what they should be doing at home. Hopefully that will come after the break.

The key worker allocation letter came out today and the criteria is much stricter than last time. In March I could have had a place for mine but I chose not to use it and we worked around each other as much as possible and I took a lot of leave, but this time round we won't qualify for a space due to tightening of criteria.

BiscuitDrama · 23/12/2020 08:55

Gawd OP, that’s rubbish if the whole class was off and they couldn’t manage more than that.

BiscuitDrama · 23/12/2020 08:59

Maybe it varies by age. The one I’m talking about is a P6, not had a whole class off fo the younger one. Maybe they just can’t do it for younger ones.

blowinahoolie · 23/12/2020 12:03

DS is P6 and came home with his folder for home learning in the new year.

blowinahoolie · 23/12/2020 12:05

He has plenty to keep him going. Hopefully this really is just for one week! Don't think my sanity could cope if they need to be home schooled longer.

SillyOldMummy · 23/12/2020 12:22

Email the school and ask for a written plan. They WILL have one, even if they have not shared it.

There is plenty of stuff on Oak National, get the kids doing that if school does not fill up the day.

Oliv5 · 23/12/2020 14:45

I quit my job last time and I'll be applying for extenuating circumstances at uni. It's too difficult to try and balance everything. Will do what school work we can but will prioritise getting outdoors, not letting our mental health suffer again. Appreciate not everyone can do that though.

FatGirlShrinking · 23/12/2020 15:06

How old is your child OP?

During the first lockdown DD was 5, me and DH working full time from home, we would prep some stuff the nights before in the hopes off being able to keep her entertained by herself for a bit the next day. Stuff like:

Had an A3 sheet pinned up on the wall with ideas on it

  • build the tallest tower out of Lego
  • make 3 different types of vehicles out of Lego
  • set up a dolls tea party
  • make a bridge out of stuff in the recycling bag that your teddy can use to get from one side of the rug to the other
  • make a model rocket/boat/aeroplane out of recycling stuff
  • draw a picture of a unicorn, riding a spaceship and meeting an alien

We got some activity books from the pound shop/Aldi/Lidl

Set up treasure hunts/clues the night before

Printed out any worksheets school provided and stuff from Twinkl.

We had a rough schedule which was up on the wall with pictures of where the hands would be on the clock.

  • activity from big sheet 9am - 10am
  • break 10am - 10.30am
  • time with mummy 10:30am - 12pm
  • lunch 12pm - 1pm
  • activity books/work sheets 1pm - 2pm
  • break 2pm - 2.30pm
  • time with daddy 2.30pm - 4pm

We made a pack lunch in the morning just like we did when she was at school and set out snacks on the kitchen table, she could buy the snacks with her 'tuck' money at break times and at the end of the week was given the tuck money to buy herself a treat at the supermarket.

Me and DH would make back any time we lost during the day in the evenings so would often be working late at night but it was the only way to make it work, we'd use that time to take her on a walk or play in the garden with her and arranged it with bosses as planned unavailable time.

Honestly it was a total bastarding pain in the ass and we were knackered constantly but no choice but to make it work.

PointyDragonPokingThing · 23/12/2020 15:27

@FatGirlShrinking that is great! Wish my 5yo would pick an activity from a sheet and do it for an hour - not a chance in hell pf that!

I work 25 hours pw and fairly flexibly so am going to try and do a bit first thing, a bit in the evening, and a chunk at the weekend. DH is full time 8.30 - 5.

Jellycatspyjamas · 23/12/2020 15:34

My 7 and 9 year old would struggle to do that, they need much more engagement from me during the day - luckily I have a very understanding boss.

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