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Is this home timetable good for my child?
Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2015 11:03 am
by fantasyvn2008
Could you pls advise? My son is in year 1 (born in 2009). We go to work, so after he finishes school at 3.15, a childminder will take care until 5.30.
After we get home, I intend to have this timetable with him until bed time:
5.30 - 7pm: free play and dinner
7-7.10: piano
7.10-7.20: free play
7.20 - 7.30: handwriting
7.30-7.40: free play
7.40-7.55: maths
7.55-8pm: break
8 - 8.10: reading and then going to bed
I managed to do this timetable for two days with my child.
But I was wondering if it is suitable for his growth and well-being. Your advice is greatly appreciated.
Re: Is this home timetable good for my child?
Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2015 11:15 am
by SleepyHead
What is your son doing with the child minder - I assume that is free play - so I wouldn't extend the day because of more free play. Also think an earlier bed time is better IMO
5.30 - 5:45 Maths
5:45 - 6:00 Hand writing
6:00 - 7:00 Dinner
7.00 - 7:15 Piano
7:15 - Bath and reading (winding down time)
Re: Is this home timetable good for my child?
Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2015 11:25 am
by kenyancowgirl
Assuming this is not a massive wind up....
He's Year 1....
let him be a child and play with mud and pick his nose and use a cardboard box to transport him to magic worlds...if you must do something with him after a day at school AND a childminder (all of which are exhausting) then sit and read a book with him.
Re: Is this home timetable good for my child?
Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2015 11:54 am
by tiffinboys
kenyancowgirl wrote:Assuming this is not a massive wind up....
He's Year 1....
let him be a child and play with mud and pick his nose and use a cardboard box to transport him to magic worlds...if you must do something with him after a day at school AND a childminder (all of which are exhausting) then sit and read a book with him.
Reading (with him and/or to him) and sleeping early is far better for a young mind. I would only add Piano, if child does it wilfully on his own and for as long as he want to play.
Re: Is this home timetable good for my child?
Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2015 11:57 am
by JRM
Talk maths for fun in the car and at dinner if you must. He's too young to do handwriting practice in my opinion, although writing lists for you at the weekend would be a good way to do a bit extra if you want to. so that just leaves piano. Little and every day is recommended, I know, but in our house every other day is an amazing achievement. He could just do that while you make tea. Job done.
I thought this was a wind up, but then I do know that if I don't plan then sometimes I realise we haven't done any of the things that we meant o get done this week. So in my head I have days allocated for hairwashing and for violin practice. But I think that is enough.
Re: Is this home timetable good for my child?
Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2015 12:03 pm
by Lynniew100
Hi fantasy,
I know how tough it must be to work full time and still do extra work with children at home.
I gave up work after my third so am a full time mum. Like you, I believe in doing extra work with children outside school.
My DD and DS do 30-45min of extra work in the mornings before they go to school as I find they are usually very tired after school and just want to chill and play their own imaginative games. I do insist on 20min piano practice after dinner each and 15 min oboe practice for DD.
Our school just introduced a new online maths subscription for all students and they go onto that on their own (for fun) for 15-20min, followed by bath, reading and bed. They are year 4 (DD) and year 2 (DS).
I think because your DS is quite young, he wouldn't have as much stamina as my older ones so maybe do more of the extra work on weekends and let him play, rest, read more on weekdays. Also it would be less stressful on yourself.
All the best
Re: Is this home timetable good for my child?
Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2015 12:03 pm
by scary mum
Gosh, yes, he's only 7. Let him have fun & learn through playing - if you must do maths, counts cups of sand in the sandpit, or bricks in a tower, or something (I'm sure others will have better ideas!). Do jigsaws. Read with him and discuss the stories. Enjoy him while he is young, all too soon he will have proper homework. And it seems like a late bedtime to me, he will be tired after school and being at the childminders.
Re: Is this home timetable good for my child?
Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2015 12:37 pm
by fantasyvn2008
Thank you very much for your kind replies.
I totally support the idea of letting my children play and be innocent as long as possible. At the same time, I hope he has extra learning so that he can go into a grammar school or an independent school.
How to balance these two needs is the implications behind my home timetable. I hope that by spending time with him in an organized way, I can help him. But I do not want him to get too tired or to have some harmful things later.
Your further advice is greatly appreciated so that I can refine it.
Re: Is this home timetable good for my child?
Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2015 12:49 pm
by Tolstoy
JRM wrote:Talk maths for fun in the car and at dinner if you must. He's too young to do handwriting practice in my opinion, although writing lists for you at the weekend would be a good way to do a bit extra if you want to. so that just leaves piano. Little and every day is recommended, I know, but in our house every other day is an amazing achievement. He could just do that while you make tea. Job done.
I thought this was a wind up, but then I do know that if I don't plan then sometimes I realise we haven't done any of the things that we meant o get done this week. So in my head I have days allocated for hairwashing and for violin practice. But I think that is enough.
I can relate to the last paragraph especially with a large family, hence panicked phone call to tesco 7 a.m this morning trying to get hold of swimming trunks
However I would say that handwriting practice should kick in as soon as DC starts to write, which in this country is unfortunately at a very young age. Leave it too late and the bad habits picked up will never be corrected or not without a massive amount of time and effort. However I don't mean just copying out realms of letters and paragraphs but concentrating on a correct and relaxed pencil/ pen grip and this can be done whilst making beautiful patterns, colouring etc. Re letter formation get a stick and do it on a beach, in a muddy wood or use a flour recipe (someone help me with this one as I can"t locate it) that makes a thick liquid that you can draw patterns in. Wonderful fun for practicing to write. My big regret is not noticing the bad habits my own DC had picked up at school sadly and not getting it sorted.
Re: Is this home timetable good for my child?
Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2015 4:28 pm
by yoyo123
My personal opinion is that is far too much.
Learning should still be play in year 1. He can help you lay the table or pair socks or you could just play a game like snakes and ladders which requires counting and turn taking. Reading a book together and a good night's sleep