Homeschooling parents, really so perfect??????

We have 9 year old twins width their mum in lockdown with us. I try to do the lessons with them while mum works. School is excellent we have a detailed scheme of work for each week. If we manage to do some maths and English in the morning I am happy and if we do anything extra in the other subjects I am ecstatic. It is not easy. I am sure they do not giggle and egg each other on at school. In fact, I know they don’t as they are two of the quietest. However, I am perfectly happy to do it until it is really safe for them to return to school.

I have seen some mothers feeling depressed though at the posts about how perfectly other mothers are coping when they feel they are not.

Yes, this is how I took the OP, too. A slight (but good-natured) 'dig' at people bragging about their perfect children and how good they are at teaching them.

I don't know if people do it to convince themselves or others, really. Someone on my feed is always going on about how delighted she is that her 15 year old daughter doesn't want to hang about the streets in the evenings, accompanied by one of those shrugging smileys.

It's obviously a criticism of other parents, and a way of 'humblebragging' - (boasting whilst pretending not to), and criticising in a way that can't really be called to account, as she's not coming out and saying anything about the other kids, but it's clear that that's what she's doing.

Perhaps these perfect mums aren’t trying to do a full time job at home on-line - itself a new experience when they’re used to being in an office environment - while at the same time as tutoring their children who’re in various years and doing it with no training. Taking into account of course, the different relationships children have with their parents and their teachers.

Either that, or they’re struggling the same as everyone else and just trying to reassure themselves that they’re doing fine - really!

This is an extraordinarily odd time. Most families are not choosing to homeschool and so for both the parents/carers and the children it is also very new.

Families who choose to home-educate on the other hand, do tend to settle into a rhythm that suits the family "style". It doesn't happen overnight if a child is taken out of school. I don't think anyone should be beating themselves up about doing a less that brilliant job of it if it's not their choice.

I haven't seen the Facebook posts but I expect they could make some struggling families feel undermined.

In this case I have to say that (like a number of others), I did read the original post as a criticism of the "perfect" families in their tidy homes.

I don't have any pictures of any perfect parents on my FB, and if you do felice it may be that you don't choose your friends very well. I suppose if you have people you are in some way trying to either impress or keep up with that's what you will get. But if you don't like their posts just "unfriend" them then you won't have to see them. Or is this in fact just an attempt at humour or to make us all reassure you that you are doing so well? Either way I don't really care. I suppose like most of us most people are making the best of bad situation.
I am puzzled about a teacher retiring at the start of this crisis most resignations need at least a month's notice. Unless of course she was a supply teacher or not on contract in which case it wouldn't be her decision

I told a younger friend of mine who has a four year old that I was concerned about my grandson falling behind as he doesn't seem to be doing much learning at home, whereas I have a friend whose grandchildren's school have organised online classes.

She said don't worry about it - there's a lot of competitive parenting/grandparenting around these days and you don't want to believe everything that is said.

My son and his partner are both working from home and my son is particularly busy at the moment. He is finding it very stressful trying to deal with work issues, online meetings, etc, while the children are arguing with each other and playing up. The younger one is especially unfocused and uninterested in learning. I think this is probably fairly common in a lot of families, so try to take the image of "perfect" parents and their "perfect" children with a pinch of salt.

felice, I understand where you're coming from- Having discovered I don't have the stomach for FB, I rarely log on-

It's an absolutely amazing platform, don't get me wrong, but it isn't my cup of tea-

Felice , loved your funny , lighthearted but TRUE post, it was great! Don’t be put off by the few miseries who posted , some people take everything sooo very seriously!

Waking my DGS for ‘school’ at 9am I was informed it is irritating and pointless - always a fight

So damn true. It is like a competition.. who is doing home schooling the best...

That's the 'joys' of social media; everything is competitive to some, and I suppose it does put pressure on people, if they're believing all this.... Rubbish.

Am I the only one who wants to say people are not ‘ homeschooling’, but rather supervising work set by children’s school? To me, homeschooling is where the parents set the lessons and course work, and do any ‘ teaching’.
It could be different in other areas, but where we are there is absolutely no need for parents or grandparents to get involved, beyond seeing that the work is done, and submitted to the school online.
I do wonder, though, what the children’s teachers must think when 7 year old wee Johnny’s mother posts a picture of ‘his ‘ model he made for his class project!

Simple answer to the OP problem dont go on facebook!

Oh dear, felice, I fear there are some serious sense of humour failures going on here ... it's like having to ask why the puchline of a joke is so funny ???

Having had a rather strange experience with my youngest child who consistently refused to attend school or to be homeschooled, and who later went to a Russell group university where he obtained a first class honours degree, I am rather philosophical about the value of organised education. It’s easy for me to say, now I am through that awful period in my family’s life, but I really feel that the important thing for children during this surreal time we are passing through, is to know that they are loved and nurtured and that all things will pass. There are many things to learn in life and not all of them are learned in the classroom.

Sometimes I feel sorry for those children. There life has been turned upside down. Like ours has. Let them do some learning, I know schools are setting them some work. But also let me have fun with learning, Ie baking, crafts. Gardening if you have a garden, or if not looking for insects in in an open space. Playing games. You can learn through so many different ways. As a childminder we make up games with the children. But they are also learning. This epidemic has such an impact on their lives. Not seeing friends. I know some parents are working from home so more difficult.

Exactly Daddima.

And yes, I do think the OP is funny. My grandson, currently in year 4 has decided he has now promoted himself to year 5 (not on the basis of any work he has done but just because he wants to). His teacher mother is not too bothered.

felice rather like the round robin Christmas letters!
Apparently older DGC, Mummy and Daddy are all working hard at home
Younger DGC is set to work too, then they notice a little head bobbing up and down on the trampoline.

It's half term next week!

Maggiemaybe

Oh dear, some are just not getting it.

MawB the Hurrah for Gin on homeschooling is very funny, DIL posted it on FB.

My grown up kids are struggling with working from home and home schooling. I do a zoom session with the grandkids every day - starting with a quiz which now they take it in turn to compile themselves. Now I am learning something new! the point is it is unrealistic to get kids to learn like they do at school, but that doesn't mean they don't pick up valuable information all the time. Very frustrating all round, but needs must.

Supervising work provided by others, eg school, is not home-schooling! All those people saying that they may never send their child back to school but 'home-school' them are in for several shocks when they have to go it alone.

I liked this from Joe Heenan on the Twitters -

[1st day of homeschooling]
Me: “You start at 9 & finish at 3, lunch will be 45 minutes & I'll check your work at the end of each day! “

[Homeschooling now]
Me:” Just play Fortnite, and if you get hungry there's some stilton in the fridge. I'm too f*#kin’ drunk to care”

daddima I like that, last post from me on this, thanks to all who 'got it', the Dad who posted the 'Christmas' model is so now that he has offered to pay for the first round when we get back to all going out for lunch after Sunday School sometime in the future.
It is a public holiday here today, and normally my Son-in-law would be dressed up in Medieval costume carrying a huge Crossbow marching around the city after a very long complicated Church service in the Eglise de Sablon(worth a google), attended by royalty.

Building a bug house this afternoon, so better get organised.

Marian1412 - fronted adverbials are a (comparatively new) part of Y6 KS2 SATs. Amazing how we got through life without knowing their name.

Both KS2 and KS3 SATs became obsessed with technical jargon in Maths and English a few years ago. I think it was David Cameron, who when asked if he could have done these tests, said he wanted the next generation to be better educated than his. Do I need to remind he went to Eton, with their tiny classes?

Sadly I was told recently that it's not enough now to give the right answer, you have to say why that's the answer, and if you don't use the technical descriptor, you don't get the mark!