The Mock Turtle

Pippedydeadeye wrote: ↑Wed May 13, 2020 11:32 am Are you all actually trying to fill 9-3:30?

J’s busy 9-4ish with breaks.

He’s older though, Cerise.

We are not trying to fill school hours or replicate it in any way. I can’t do that, and we’ve not had that suggested to us either. It’s just holding pattern stuff so their minds don’t totally atrophy.

Pippedydeadeye wrote: ↑Wed May 13, 2020 11:32 am Are you all actually trying to fill 9-3:30?

Absolutely not. At the moment, the chaps are doing school work in the morning under their own reconnaissance. I don't get involved at all unless I get an email from school saying something is missing. The quality of their output is probably shit.. Partner or I will usually have to kick them off the internet at some point between 11 & 2 as we will have work video-calls. Then we all have lunch (FYI, I am incredibly bored of all sitting round the table having lunch) and they will be sat glued to Animal Crossing or Assassin's Creed or whatever. About 4 o'clock I try to make them watch some vaguely improving TV with me and/or go for a walk/take shopping to my dad's.

I'm really not hell bent about replicating the school day, but calling things 'break time' or whatever seemed like a useful and understandable way of disguising 'please fuck off for half an hour because I desperately need to concentrate' time

9-3.30 Our productive school time amounts to about 25 minutes a day. Add on a couple of hours cajoling or shouting and then maybe an hour of fun "learning" (planting seeds or baking) and the rest is screen time so I can work.

We have a working car!! We gave up on the plastic bottle as it kept scrunching up when we tightened the rubber band. This one is made from lolly sticks and lots of hot glue.

A full day Joe is doing an hour of Sumdog or Glow, and then I have a vague rule about watching some educational stuff on YouTube at least. They both love history, so that's most of it. They have at least an hour or so on the trampoline each day too, and we go for walks etc. I can't even make myself do a full day of PhD work, never mind all three of us.

Pippedydeadeye wrote: ↑Wed May 13, 2020 11:32 am Are you all actually trying to fill 9-3:30?

No!

More like 10-1 (with an hour for lunch) then no electronics until 3/4 so I encourage them to go outside, play with toys, colour etc. Sometimes, if I’m in the mood we’ll do an activity but I’m not doing a lot.

We've got the work to fill 9-3.30 easily! I'm trying to get maths, reading and English done everyday and then the rest depends on what we have time for and feel like doing.

I'm mentally struggling with the fact that I'm not working so I should have time to do all this and do a decent job of homeschooling them, and I am most definitely not! I think if I was trying to fit it round work, I'd have much more of a relaxed attitude. I'm also really worried about C as, despite the school telling us he's at expected levels for the last couple of years, he is quite clearly not coping with the level of work set. I'm stressed about A as we're pretty much leaving her to her own devices, but she's got entrance exams next year and will be up against plenty of children who are actually being taught properly at the moment (or taught at all). E, who is the one who I'm least worried about as she's only 5, needs the most input to do anything.

Pippedydeadeye wrote: ↑Wed May 13, 2020 11:50 am He’s older though, Cerise.

Yes, he’s in Year 7 and gets five one-hour long lessons a day. D (Yr4) is doing similar because I can’t really pack him off to watch a film when the other is working. They are both getting new learning too. If it didn’t suit us, I wouldn’t do it but they’re both just getting on with it and we’re not having too many fights. I think we’re all thriving on the routine of it but am aware that that makes us the minority!

J had a lesson on sex and reproduction today and did it in silence at the dining table with headphones on.

Cerise wrote: ↑Wed May 13, 2020 1:12 pm I think we’re all thriving on the routine of it but am aware that that makes us the minority

I can't say I enjoy it (at all) but we (I?) absolutely need the routine so having a pattern to the day and trying to fill it (somewhat haphazardly) is the best approach for us.

Cerise wrote: ↑Wed May 13, 2020 1:12 pm

Pippedydeadeye wrote: ↑Wed May 13, 2020 11:50 am He’s older though, Cerise.

Yes, he’s in Year 7 and gets five one-hour long lessons a day. D (Yr4) is doing similar because I can’t really pack him off to watch a film when the other is working. They are both getting new learning too. If it didn’t suit us, I wouldn’t do it but they’re both just getting on with it and we’re not having too many fights. I think we’re all thriving on the routine of it but am aware that that makes us the minority!

J had a lesson on sex and reproduction today and did it in silence at the dining table with headphones on.

Exactly the same here. L gets set work for each of his normal lessons and it’s just much easier to get A to work at the same time.

Cerise wrote: ↑Wed May 13, 2020 1:12 pm J had a lesson on sex and reproduction today and did it in silence at the dining table with headphones on.

I am about to kick my kids off their devices and teach them to use the washing machine.

H is at her desk at 9 and has to follow her usual timetable. I do not get involved at all. She does do the odd tik tok in-between and sometimes facetimes friend's and they work together. She is usually done by 3pm but it depends on what she has to do that day.

Z and L - we sometimes start with PE with Joe and then they watch Horrible Histories while I have a shower. Then they work through their Purple Mash tasks. I sometimes I give them some maths to do (White Rose or something) and we often have half an hour of reading.

Usually by lunchtime we are done.

I do make them go out in the garden for a bit, we'll do baking sometimes or I'll find an art activity to do.

If S didn't fart about so much, he'd probably be done in a few hours, but I generally try to keep 9-3 for learning which includes snacks, lunch and fitness.

He is quite happy to watch Bitesize, YouTube videos and play on Sumdog, education City etc.

We managed to get one if the microbits the BBC were giving away, so we have that to try as he really likes an online coding page.

He has also started watching The Little Art School YouTube tutorials which go step by step for drawing. The 2 he's done has resulted in his best ever pictures.

Today the artist out of the hat was Henry Moore. Nailed. It. I don't think many kids will be modelling boobs out of air drying clay #enriching.

He looks pleased with the result!

Thanks for the Little Art School recommendation, Glint. Z and TBL just sat and drew ice lollies. It's a nice activity.

He seems so chuffed with it!

He was actually mildly hysterical. We both laughed a lot.

I love it!