The closure of schools has been one of the toughest things to have taken place since the lockdown and any parent will be able to tell you the challenges which this has presented. My husband and I have been incredibly lucky that the PLAY Preschool which our kids attend have been absolutely amazing in providing work and materials for the kids to keep up their education, and that has taken a huge weight off us both, as we are both still working. If you are in a similar situation and you have work which has been sent home for your kids, then here are some tips which I have found helpful during this time.
Routine
In the first few weeks when we were finding our feet regarding teaching the kids and juggling work at the same time, we would do the school sessions whenever we could really find the time, which we quickly realized couldn’t continue. And so we decided to put the routine in place around when the kids ate and when they did schoolwork, and this improved things dramatically. If you don’t currently have a routine in place then I’d recommend that you try to implement one as it has worked wonders for us.
Sweet Spot
Something else which we quickly learned about the timing of when we take the kids through their schoolwork is that there is very much a sweet spot to be found in terms of teaching between meals. In my experience the kids are a nightmare just after they have eaten, but leave it too long and they get hungry, which is also a tricky time. We currently teach an hour after a meal, and that seems to have been the best time.
Asking Help
If you are in any need of help when it comes to answering questions or if there is a subject which is tough to understand, then you can use forums which to find out all of the answers which you need, or how to present certain subjects. Websites such as Mumsnet have a huge amount of forum entries on this very subject and although you may feel as though you are alone, the truth is that there are thousands of parents out there who are going through the very same thing, lean on each other and we can get through it together.
Hang the Carrot
I have to be honest I have never been a fan of the attitude ‘if you do this you can have that’ when it comes to the kids, I want them to be able to motivate themselves. Having said this, I have noticed that when it comes to home schooling, I absolutely have to dangle that carrot for them in order to inspire them to put the effort in. To be honest, it is working but I am rather running out of things to offer them at the end of the day!
Good luck out there mums and dads.