I am guessing all of you agree with me when I say that last week was super weird with the corona virus pandemic and the sudden closing of schools and basically everything else. It felt a little like that week between Christmas and New Years in our house, when you don’t even know what day it is. Our schedule was funky and we were just kind of getting through our days. Today, my kids started their remote learning and I am guessing that its the same for a lot of you, and I am sure that a lot of you are also feeling a bit overwhelmed with the process of keeping everything straight for the foreseeable future.
On Friday night I jumped on an instagram live with my sister (who also happens to be a rockstar teacher) to share some tips and ideas for you all on how to keep your kids on a schedule and keep school work running smoothly during the coronavirus lockdown. I wanted to get the tips down here so you can reference back to them in the coming weeks as we all navigate this very strange and unprecedented time. The bonus is, these tips are great to use even when we’re not in a global pandemic, and will help your home run smoother, and your kids be more independent and at peace.
Tip #1: Get up earlier than your kids. I know it can feel impossible, but get up earlier than your kids. Preferably an hour before. I know you’re tired, but you will be so much better equipped to take on the task of home educating your kids along with all of your usual responsibilities if you have an hour to prepare your mind. Get up, work out, study the scriptures, pray, meditate, take a shower and get dressed. This strong start will work miracles for you, I promise.
Read more of my tips for smoother mornings here.
Tip #2: Create a daily schedule chart that is task, not time based. Creating a list of tasks (I have a free printable one available below!) that your kids need to complete and check off during the day before they can have free/screen time will really help your kids stay on track during the day. Not attaching them to time blocks gives your kids the flexibility to work at their own pace, helps them learn how to work effectively, and fosters self-management. School work should be included in on this chart. These charts are incredibly effective for all ages and help minimize push-back and arguments because they expectations clear to your kids. Also, kids like all people love checking things off the list. Grab my printable daily chart below!
Tip #3: Activities should be done as independently as possible. This is an excellent opportunity to foster independence with your children. This is especially important with regard to their school work. (This is coming right from my teacher sister.) Give your kids flexibility on when/how their tasks get done, with the clear understanding that it all must be done before screen and free time.
Tip #4: Schedule a school work start time. Just because they aren’t physically going to school, doesn’t mean that they can’t “start” school at a certain time. Setting up a start time with give your kids a feeling of routine and normalcy and help with the emotional upheaval that comes with situations like this. If they finish their school work early, let them be done. Don’t force them to sit for a set amount of time. This is a great time to teach them how to work quickly and effectively. We start at 8 and 9 am (depending on the kids and what grade they are in) everyone works until their school work is done, and once they are done, they finish whatever other “tasks” are on their chart and then they are free for the rest of the day.
Worried about your kids getting super bored during that “rest of the day” time? Read my post on boredom and kids here.
Tip #5: Set up a designated workspace for school work. This will help your kids naturally transition into the schoolwork mindset each day and give them a sense of routine. I recommend a quite space with a table or hard surface. We are using our dining room as the school space.
Tip #6: Give yourself, your kids and their teachers grace. There is no way that this will run perfectly smoothly from the start, and it might be overwhelming to you, your kids, their teacher, or all three of you. No one has ever dealt with anything like this in our lifetime, it’s new territory and there will be a learning curve. Just give yourself and everyone grace and know that all the kinks will eventually be ironed out.
Read more about why giving yourself grace is so powerful here. (Also applies to the people you are in relationships with.)
If you have any tips that have helped you be more effective with schooling your kids at home during this pandemic, please feel free to share them below!
One of the best things I read is “homeschool is not an attempt at replicating public school.” I think you hit the nail on the head when you said, once they are done their work, they’re done for the day. You don’t need to make kids sit for 6-7 hours a day doing homework. Kids will accomplish stuff so much quicker at home than traditional school.
You’re doing a great job mama!