unreasonable school project?

A beach dress to cover a swimsuit - two towels tacked together.

However, I still of the opinion that the parents should get together and let the school know that these projects should be tackled in school not as homework assignments - particularly for that age group.

I think that is what the parents at the DGC's school did because the number of assignments expected to be completed in the February half-term was ridiculous - so now most of the work is done in school instead.

I think this is ridiculous. No five year old could do this without considerable help from an adult. I’m not sure what the learning objectives would be. Is this an EYs child or a KS1 child? Either way it’s unsuitable for a five year old, and since the child couldn’t possibly carry this out without help, I’m unsure what the child will learn. I speak as an ex EYs/KS1 teacher!

Many years ago, when we were on holiday, I made outfits out of newspaper and plastic bags. Eldest in in the plastic bag outfit went as keep Britain tidy. I didn't have a machine with me...all stapled and celotaped. Bin bags are usually recycled plastic. Use black and white. Colour could be brought in with ruffles around hem and neck using orange Sainsbury's bags or similar. I am sure you could come up with something using these simple readily available materials.

It’s NOT about which parents/grandparents can come up with something, it’s about the child’s learning. If parents or carers do it, the child isn’t learning!

It's ok saying use 'pinking shears/velcro/cut up' .... etc but these children are 5! Sharp scissors - cannot imagine some blunt rounded end ones are going to do the trick unless making it of paper, so it is obviously a project for parents/grannies and not the child!

Some parents work during half term anyway to keep the wolf from the door and their children are in child care - am sure the clubs or child minders are going to be delighted spending 1:1 time with just one child!

I think it’s ridiculous for a child of that age and will obviously be done by a parent
I would tell the school about all your concerns re the making and dangerous scissors iron etc and get the other mums to agree. It has not been thought through properly for a child of that age.
May be better done by sticking paper on a cardboard model.

Perhaps let slip it is being debated on GN?

For all those saying use old clothes, towels, pillowslips etc maybe some families are actually wearing or using these. Not every family has the spares to just give usable items for a homework project, or indeed the resources to go buying such items from a charity shop. As to the "encouraging parent/ grandparent participation" why not leave families to decide their own fun things to do in the very limited time some have together? Any homework project which requires substantial adult input is unfair to those children who for whatever reason do not have this.

Good point janipat re recycling old items.
How many people have spare bits of fabric and haberdashery lying around in a craft box too?

A joke surely for a five year old. Whatever happened to making pottery dogs and bits and pieces with material scraps...for goodness sake refuse to do this!! Get together with some other parents /grandparents and just say ‘NO’....what can they do. If pushed stand firm and give your reasons. 5 year olds need to be playing after school and when not playing they should have a bath / book/ bed . Just say NO!!

anxiousgran
Here's a Cinderella dress - very easy for a five year old to run up in an evening from a couple of old bits of fabric:

"the project idea will have to come from me as she will probably dream up a Cinderella outfit if left to herself"

and that would be wrong because...?

If you are determined to do this project for her you should contact the school for advice and instruction.

As a child, I had parents who would not help me as it would be cheating and so I often experienced the bitter frustration of seeing fellow pupils praised for work that even I could see they hadn't done at all.

I would contact the school. and ask what lessons they want learned - that adults lie? That cheating brings rewards? Do they want the pupils to work alone?

My two 6 year grandchildren were more than capable of drawing an outfit when they were five. They would have loved doing that knowing it was going to be made. Children are capable of more than what they are being given credit for here. Stapling and sticking is not beyond them. Just a bit of help with cutting if needed. My children used to love this sort of thing.

I agree with others this is ridiculous for a 5 year old. There is no way my (very bright but also inclined to be anxious) 5 year old GS would be able to do this without considerable adult input. It is just putting more pressure on the parents. I can't see the point of it and can see how it could lead to a lot of anxiety for children and their carers.

I think partly it’s because the authorities are trying to encourage more one on one time with parents and their children, and partly this idea that “pushing” children is how to get the best out of them. In my experience, the amount of homework my child was given when he started primary totally sucked away all of our family time and the pressure it put us under, because my son wasn’t interested in any of it was huge.
We changed schools that have different homework policy. We didn’t realise that levels of homework change from school to school and it is not actually demanded by the education authority! So if I were you, and you think it’s unreasonable complain and refuse. Your DGD is not going to suffer because of it.

The OP mentions "the children" in the introductory post, so I'm imagining the class comprises of boys and girls. Casting my mind back to when my boys were that age, they, like many of their male peers had no interest in what they considered girl oriented projects. From the outline of the task I can't imagine it appealing to boys per se, a minority perhaps, even in the more gender fluid world we currently inhabit. Possibly some would find fault with that, but it's a fact that children often set their own parameters of what they consider male and female roles to be. I think boys can often suffer from a female oriented education system anyway, I know mine did at times, particularly as there were only a couple of male teachers at their junior school. I remember a lot of time being wasted on -- complete shite -- sewing samplers Strangely, mine have never picked up a needle and thread since.

Boys: Super hero capes, Astronaut outfit, caveman, monster fashion, camouflage outfit, sports kits, musicians outfits. You just need imagination!
Many fashion designers are men.. do not stick old stereotypes on kids all the time

It’s perfectly acceptable for parents of children at primary school to just say their child will not do homework, other than reading or a few spellings. Projects such as this are ill thought through and if I were the parent I’d just write a note say “x will not be doing this ......project. We consider it inappropriate for her age and of little value. It will impact on her family time, which is more important to us. Thank you”. Possibly copy in the head teacher.

I think Glossgran is thinking along the right lines here. To use simple everyday materials to make a very simple garment. Even a 5 year old can stick together cut up plastic carrier bags to make a skirt - use sellotape (no sewing) and sharpie pens and glitter glue to add colour. It sounds like a fun project that shouldn't take longer than an afternoon. It's the way the project has been described that makes it sound difficult. I personally don't think 5 year olds should be given homework at all. School holidays should be just that a holiday from school work. But this project is not so different to what lots of parents do with their children anyway in the holidays. Make it fun. Have fun doing it and let us know what you GD makes.

Seakay but in the long-term I expect you are more enterprising and more able to cope with the work environment than those who had parents who did their homework for them!

IMO, it's gone well beyond a joke.
Learning the 3 Rs is more important than Gran having to cut and sew something that is plainly outside the capabilities of a 5 year old. Can you imagine a 5 yr old wielding adult scissors capable of cutting cloth, and measuring the clothes to fit.
This is one step beyond ridiculous and heaps stress on parents and the wider family who are, obviously, going to have to complete the major part of the task.
Utter nonsense.

PECS I try not to stick stereotypes on boys, my experience of 2 sons and a grandson is that they do it to themselves. My four year old grandson tells me that I can't play cars on the floor with him, cos I'm a girl........apparently only grandad will do, unless he's unavailable then grudgingly I'm allowed.

I'm well aware there are loads of male fashion designers, although coincidently many are gay, the late Alexander McQueen, Julian McDonald to name but two, possibly a creativity borne out of a sexuality that has more fluidity than some straight males. I'm not saying I agree with my four year old's intransigence in his stance on what boys can play with as opposed to girls, nor do I encourage it, but it's the way he is, at the moment at any rate, like his father and uncle before him he seems to spend an inordinate amount of time exploding and crashing cars around. Similarly his sister enjoys creative pursuits and additionally other interests that could be characterised as typically feminine.

Girls:
Female super hero capes, Astronaut outfit, cavewoman, monster fashion, camouflage outfit, sports kits, musicians outfits.

Goodness! That is an unbelievable project for a 5 year old. The public is constantly being informed about the financial hardship some families are living with yet school is expecting children to come up with all the bits and pieces necessary for projects. Never mind the creative thinking, the ability to assemble/even sew garment, my mind boggles at all the cutting, sticking whether sellotape or velcro which is expensive, and the possible need for bells, bows, ribbons
If a 5 year old can design,assemble and market a garment then look out the fashion industry. The school needs to get real!

Like others have suggested here, my DD thinks these homework projects are actually a test of parental involvement rather than a realist demand for work from the child.