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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:
BlueThursday · 23/12/2020 15:51

Having to log on at 6am again for my work and hoping the school has got its shit together this time round and actually providing something to do

GoldenOmber · 23/12/2020 15:56

I’m really hoping that we have a better idea of how the overall virus situation is looking by the first week of Jan. (2-parent family, both WFH, primary and nursery age DC, only one of us in a keyworker category.)

If it looks like schools/nurseries really will reopen after 2 weeks, my plan is to suggest to my boss that I postpone some of the projects I’m working on and offer to do weekend rota work instead. Don’t see this going down brilliantly but there we are.

If it looks like it’s going to drag on then I just don’t know.

PointyDragonPokingThing · 23/12/2020 15:59

I really hope it doesn't drag on. But we're already having tougher restrictions than England despite much lower numbers, so who knows.

RaspberryCoulis · 24/12/2020 08:24

@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.
No video teaching in East Dunbartonshire.

I have older children - S1, S4 and S6. The two older ones are doing subjects I have no clue about. I did O Grade chemistry in 1988, can't really support Advanced Higher in 2021. DH is starting a new role on 1st Jan and will be full on as he has been throughout. I work freelance and am quiet at the moment but work will ramp up again in January as it always does. And i'm doing a part-time Masters too.

It's a totally different set of challenges for parents of older children. We don't need the childcare, we do need them to be in front of subject experts. Especially my S4 who needs decent passes in two subjects she's struggling in so she can drop them and move on.

Graffitiqueen · 24/12/2020 10:26

I'm not basically. It's year end for us and I will be working all hours to get through that. I just can't home school the kids on top of that.

They'll just have to get on with it themselves.

BiscuitDrama · 24/12/2020 10:29

It’s just shit all round isn’t it. Whether your child is older, younger, or you have a crap effort from school.
My middle one is waiting to be seen for possible ADHD and fucked up our whole attempt at a timetable in spring as he could only manage about ten minutes.

I’m pleased I don’t have really young children or indeed those who actually need to be getting the work done (although eldest is nudging that).

Bikingbear · 24/12/2020 10:40

I don't know how we are going to cope. A week and half we can deal with any more I think we'll be seeking external help one way or another.
I just hope they don't wait until the 15th to say they are extending it.

BiscuitDrama · 24/12/2020 14:53

@Bikingbear

I don't know how we are going to cope. A week and half we can deal with any more I think we'll be seeking external help one way or another. I just hope they don't wait until the 15th to say they are extending it.
It’s just a week at the moment for us. Isn’t it? I think it might get extended though. Argh.
Bikingbear · 24/12/2020 15:06

It's a week of home school, but the kids are missing a week and half off school and nursery.
DH and I are starting back work on the 5th. Which is the day nursery would have reopened, school was meant to be back on the 6th.
So really it's nearly two weeks of kids under our feet when we are trying to work.

Mamagotskills · 24/12/2020 15:15

Absolutely snowed under at work so 9yo will have to mostly play with 3yo so I have a chance of keeping my job.

BiscuitDrama · 24/12/2020 15:20

@Bikingbear

It's a week of home school, but the kids are missing a week and half off school and nursery. DH and I are starting back work on the 5th. Which is the day nursery would have reopened, school was meant to be back on the 6th. So really it's nearly two weeks of kids under our feet when we are trying to work.
Ah yes. I thought you just meant the homeschooling. I think I’m going to take some holiday that first week. Fantastic.
ItsIgginningtolookalotlikeXmas · 26/12/2020 18:51

Schools might have had their "shit together" if they weren't informed of the closures on a Saturday, after many schools had already split up.
I will be working to my timetable, no idea what primary aged dc is supposed to do for the full day while I'm teaching online, I will see him at break and lunchtime I expect. No opportunity to take leave or compress hours (last time we weren't live and so I could do a lot of marking in the evening when the dc were asleep, and set work in the mornings)

Outsidemum1 · 26/12/2020 20:06

Teachers are category 1 keyworkers so allowed a space in school , unless you have someone else homeworking? Also we have the Wed back for planning home learning and very few pupils in the Thurs/ Fri so not needed to cover . Do you not have this where you are?

ItsIgginningtolookalotlikeXmas · 26/12/2020 20:33

You can't use a keyworker place unless you are in school - so I could use one last time when going into hubs but not when doing lessons from home.
I was really referring to the surprise one or two posters had about not getting much from the school before Christmas - there really wasn't any time it was not expected, given the SG's attitude toward keeping schools open. I agree the days before the 11th will be enough time to plan.

Marasme · 27/12/2020 15:29

my primary aged kids will do the same as in lockdown 1
Reading and Collins type exercise books in the morning
Art and calligraphy (thank you letters!) in the afternoon

they know the drill since last lockdown. It will be chilled though...

makingitupaswegoon · 27/12/2020 18:54

I am not prepared to continue to home school and work this time around. I was a broken women in July and I haven't really recovered any resilience - trying to do the school work, with school saying do what you can but then following it up with 'oh it's really important for you to do this' plus work saying 'do what you have to do, but I still need a,b,c delivered by' or 'can't you work late evening / early morning' ... my health and wellbeing is coming first - it's a bloody joke. We could manage a week but beyond this ... shafting working parents, especially women, again

Mamagotskills · 27/12/2020 19:23

Totally how I feel @makingitupaswegoon and a preschooler in the mix too

ToooOldForThis · 27/12/2020 23:23

As a teacher I am dreading this. IF we are allowed into school as planned and IF my kids get key worker spaces it will be slightly better as will have head space at work.
If, as I fear, we all get told to stay at home,I have no idea how I will manage it. I can't ignore my own kids all day. But last time I survived (barely) by working a few hours in the very early morning then again late at night, to make up for the fact I had to see to my own kids, at least briefly, during the day. this won't be possible this time round.

Sleepdeprived42long · 28/12/2020 08:23

@makingitupaswegoon sums up exactly how I felt last time (2 kids age 8 and 6, DH is keyworker, I’m not and WFH). I’m just not doing it this time-my sanity was at breaking point last time and it really impacted on my mental health. Kids are going to my parents in law 3 days a week this time for childcare (no homeschooling will be getting done) and I’m beyond caring if it’s breaking the ‘rules’.

anon444877 · 28/12/2020 08:27

I've taken unpaid leave and lucky to be able to - I know how it'll pan out otherwise,
kids either stuck in front of tv or constantly told off and looping between those two states whilst I get virtually nothing done properly. Neither is going to progress on their work without parental support.

Of course it'll affect how reliable I'm seen as, at work, but better than damaging my kids again.

unkindnessofravens · 28/12/2020 09:02

I'm dreading it, like the OP, my struggle will be how to get work done and take part in meetings that are hours long while a very demanding pre schooler and a 9 year old run riot. Home learning will likely be non-existent, although if it extends beyond 18th, then that's not ideal either. I'm hoping today's announcement from Gove will put pressure on NS to get primary kids back as soon as possible.

rookiemere · 28/12/2020 09:49

I'm debating taking some parental unpaid leave even though DS is in secondary school. I found it so hard to make sure that he got his work done last time and I'm really worried he falls behind on his Nat5 content. So I have no idea how those with primary aged DCs are managing.

Arkadia · 28/12/2020 10:24

@unkindnessofravens,
I'm hoping today's announcement from Gove will put pressure on NS to get primary kids back as soon as possible.

What announcement? I looked for it, but found nothing on the BBC website.

Santaisreel · 28/12/2020 10:28

@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.

It won't be possible for the teacher to do hours of video teaching and teach the pupils in class though?

PointyDragonPokingThing · 28/12/2020 10:32

@unkindnessofravens

I'm dreading it, like the OP, my struggle will be how to get work done and take part in meetings that are hours long while a very demanding pre schooler and a 9 year old run riot. Home learning will likely be non-existent, although if it extends beyond 18th, then that's not ideal either. I'm hoping today's announcement from Gove will put pressure on NS to get primary kids back as soon as possible.
I hope it does. No justification in closing our primaries if England's are open with worse numbers. That's not stopped her so far, mind.
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