Signing of planners

[wurzel]

We're asked to sign our DCs planner weekly. I assume this is common in most schools, but I often wonder what, precisely, my signature signifies, as I scrawl it in on Friday mornings.

Am I signing to say I've seen the planner, that I've made my DC do their homework, that I've checked the homework, that I approve of the quality...?
I leave my DC to sort out their own homework. I would help with organisation if they requested it, but they don't usually welcome interference, which is fine with me. The quality is up to them, in my view.

DS2 uses his planner as it is designed to be used. It is a delight to see, with careful layout and ticks for completed work.
DS1 enters possibly 50% of his homework in the planner, and 0% of deadline dates. If I stare at it for 20 minutes, I can sometimes make out what it says. I dutifully sign it weekly. As the whole of last week was almost blank, I wrote a note in that useful little comment box to explain that I believed the homework had been done, despite appearances. DS considered this embarrassing (understandably, I think), so he cut half the page off! I was amused that the tutor has sent a return note in another comment box to say the state of his planner is unacceptable, which is quite true, and he hasn't dared to cut her comment off. I suspect nothing will change.

At another local grammar, students are given detention if the parents don't sign. This seems odd to me. It isn't always in the student's power to get the parent to sign, and the signature is fairly meaningless in any case.
What do others think? Do any of you withhold your signature for messy planners or forgotten homework? Is there any consequence from this? Does anyone actually use the comment boxes to communicate with tutors?

[Snowdrops]

We started off dutifully last year signing dd's planner.

By the end of the second term we noticed we were no longer being asked to sign it.

Why? She'd learnt to forge her father's signature already

[hermanmunster]

We started off dutifully last year signing dd's planner.

By the end of the second term we noticed we were no longer being asked to sign it.

Why? She'd learnt to forge her father's signature already

Good on her! I've been trying to persuade my two to do that for a while - usual comment is that they can't possibly write THAT badly!

I have been tempted to sign it Margaret Thatcher or Mickey Mouse to see if anyone notices - but hey the writing is so dire no one can read it!

I am not sure why I am signing it as kids do not discuss homework with me and I really don't know what they are doing - I suppose I would interest if they were having problems with it.

[mike1880]

Ooh, I hadn't thought of that, I'll mention it to our two. I'm sure my signature is really easy.

[Snowdrops]

It gets worse.

If they have their planner signed consistently they get merits (house points). If they collect so many they get awards.

My dd has lots of awards

Although to be fair they also get it for great work too.

[Snowdrops]

Oh yeah, and we're gonna hide the cheque book from now on too

[marigold]

My daughter Year 9, still has to produce a signature each week for fear of detention. She has a touch of the OCDs about her planner, all immaculate and written in black ink, when I signed it one week with a blue biro she was almost on the phone to childline.

Have yet to decipher a single entry in my son's.

[Rugbymum]

My DS's planner does not require a signature - probably a good job as I do not understand much of what he has written in there

[jemima]

My DD1 has never been in trouble and has never forgotten to hand in homework - almost sickly sweet! She got a detention in year 10 because I hadn't signed planner and she 'couldn't forge my signiature because that would be dishonest. My other children are far less honest.
I have the answer - I signed the whole year up front!!!! When the staff questioned her about it she explained 'My Mum trusts me!' As they have no reason to question my judgement - they've accepted it.
DS4 different matter..........

[tiredmum]

She'd learnt to forge her father's signature already

yes my dd2(yr7) has been very happily and sucessfully forging my signiture - in fact she is so good at it even i cant tell who has written it! She started this about 3 weeks into term when she realised it had not been signed and she may get a detention!

When i do get a chance to sign it i dont really know what i am signing? i think its to say i have checked it and read anything that her tutor may have written. I look at her planner several times during the week to check her homework is getting done - maybe i am signing to say i have done that?

dd1(yr11) hadn't had her planner signed all term so her tutor rang me as shed left a note for me and wanted a reply! I now try and look at it once a week. But at her age i obviously leave her to organise herself completely so am no sure its necessary. However when dd1 was younger sometimes she would ask me to write in it if she had not managed to get a bit of homework done! apparently that helped the situation