Help with 5 Year Old - Bed time & school!

globetraveller

meritaten wrote: »

homework? at five years old? !!!!!! - my generation didnt get homework until we were eleven! but then, the school didnt faff about teaching totally unnecessary topics - we tended to concentrate on learning the basics. and funnily enough - the literacy and numeracy rates were far higher then in the sixties!

You wouldn't believe how many teachers would agree with that! To the OP- perhaps you are showing stress and your child is picking up on it. I would make an appointment with the teacher to find out what exactly the concerns are.

Beetlemama

mummyoftwomonkeys wrote: »

....a man spoke to them who had no hair and I forgot to pack a spoon to go with his yoghurt and a teacher had to get one for him lol

That's about what I get from my now 9 year old! having no idea what they did at school is completely normal, we've been asking for years now and our run down usually consists of who said a swear word at dinnertime and which new xbox game his friend got. Don't worry.

About bed time...maybe try going earlier, using the "if you're going to mess about for half an hour we'll have bedtime at 6:30 then you can be in bed going to sleep at 7 as you're suppose to be." line. It was our experience that it ceased when it was suddenly on his time and not "ours".

Homework - we don't do it right after school, I feel they need some proper winding down time before they can concentrate again, just the way I need some time in the kitchen with coffee and Radio 2 before I am ready to go back to picking up Labrador chewed tissues and answering questions about armpits, which is a complete change from helping people sort out serious tax problems. I just can't come in and be Mum before I have remembered to be me and not the employee first.

When DS comes home, he gets a good hour of dossing and eating before we get the books out, then we have dinner, then he can do as he likes before bed. We changed bedtime from 8 to 8:30 once he was 8, but he must be in bed at 8pm - he can watch TV, or read, or I'll sit in and talk with him, 8:15 I still read to him, and then lights out and no getting up unless you forgot a proper emergency ("Mum, did I tell you I have to have a Tree costume for X tomorrow?") or need the loo.

sassyblue

supermonkey wrote: »

thanks for all the replies. re-assuring!

bed is 7, story, & lights left on. sometimes we do end up talking its hard not to when they keep following you out of the room!
aim to do homework straight away as less tired.

That's what we do straight after getting home, after getting DS a drink and something to eat. No telly, no anything until we've done spellings and read his book, and we have to keep him happy and stay positive whilst we're getting him to do it otherwise it's a battle.

The homework we have to do everynight as it's spellings (eight words every week) which are tested on Fridays and there's a chart to do it every night from Monday. He's 5 and in Year 1 !!

I disagree with it to some extent BUT DS is really progressing and enjoys reading and sums, so that's great.

As for the sleep problems l agree with others, sounds like she's frightened of something or had a bad dream?

Errata

Thank goodness I didn't learn to read until I was seven and it was never homework but a pleasurable activity. It didn't prevent me gaining two good degrees, one in arts and one in science and my house is full of books, I probably read one a week.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

1. I can't sleep with lights on at all. Neither can DDs.

2. What did you do at school today has to be answered with 'Nuffin' for at least another 6 years.

Lunar_Eclipse

supermonkey wrote: »

Thanks for your replies.

Yes, eldest child. Started school in september. Bedtime is now 7, up about 7.30. Bedtime was later before school started. Homework straight after school does work best, depending on other children's mood!

There is not instant assumption of intolerance or defiency. Just a case of thinking worst case I guess.

The bed time issue started 2 or 3 weeks back. It was kind of every other night. Then last week there was a run of 3 good nights, but now 3 bad ones in a row. We've done the whole straight to bed, but without locking the door it's difficult!

I can't help but wonder if your child has simply just started missing you? 7/8 weeks into starting school, when the novelty has worn off?

Unless they went to nursery for the same hours as school, I'm wondering if the requests to stay with me at night and not wanting to go to bed are really requests for more time with you., because they now have much less and a need is kicking in. Reassurance and love because they're not spending as much (quality) time as they used to with you perhaps?

My eldest was exhausted when she started school and vile by Friday afternoons. I'd try to keep things as calm and low key as possible.

HTH.

supermonkey

thank you all for your replies!

bed time has been improving recently, just hope it continues! I think we had got into a rut and more than anything it was me who was stressing over it.

Speaking to the other parents at school, they all struggle with homework so we are not alone. There is a bedtime story every night and regular things like point out words, playing games with numbers or fridge magnets etc. Very difficult to fit in a "formal" type of homework every day. It was just upsetting as it seemed they were saying not enough homework is being done and it shows!

Janepig

Same here. DS is 5 and never does anything at school, but if you really press him then he'll say they did "playing". Same thing with school trips. They went to a local country park and farm afew weeks ago, and there was a photographer from the local paper who took a photo of some of them which was published and the teacher was quoted saying a little bit about what they'd done. I learned much more from that about the trip than anything DS told me (or didn't tell me!).

DD is 8 and I just get the juicy gossip from her about who said what to whom and who are boyfriends and girlfriends. Oh and Moshi Monsters, she could do a degree in Moshi Monsters. But as for actual schoolwork, I've no clue what she does!!

Jx

mumofjusttwo

I always find that my DD always find it difficult to sleep after the clocks go back. The have more playtime in the dark and then find it difficult to wake as it is dark outside. To be honest so do I!
The first term for reception class is always hard. There is a large amount for them to deal with.
Ask the teacher what they are learning in class. Then you can ask him/her how it went. THat way he/she doesn't have to think about what he/she did
but can expand on what you already know.

How long does your child spend on homework a night?