Schools are Closed. Kids are Home. Now What?

It’s official. You’re home with the kids for the foreseeable future. How do you manage your schedule and theirs as well?

Five Tips To Manage Homeschooling During Covid

Here are five some tips for staying ahead of the chaos!

1. Create A Schedule. Grab some poster board or make something creative online, then print out a few copies. The first thing you are going to want is some structure. Let the kids be part of the planning process. Be sure to include all the various activities for the day with rough time frames. You will likely want some quiet time for schoolwork, studying, etc.
2. Make a Home School/Office. Each family member should have some kind of workspace. Bring all school supplies here, including all needed technology. Gather school books and other necessary documents for completing work. Keep this space designated for school/work only.
3. Gather Materials. You will need materials, such as; pencils, pens, markers, scissors, glue, tape, stapler, clock, etc. Place all of these items in a central location where they can be easily accessed.
4. Establish Boundaries. You will need to create some boundaries and rules so your kids are not interrupting you all day, otherwise you won’t get your work done. Creating some visual signs, letting them know you are not available, such as post-it-notes, hats, stuffed animals or anything else you can think of.
5. Find Your Resources. There are a lot of resources floating around on the Internet. Make your own list now so you don’t get overwhelmed, i.e. school or district materials, hobbies and activities, etc. If you are looking for some creative ideas on how to fill all that free time, here are some tips, ideas and suggestions on how to help fill your days!

• • Look up baking ideas on Pinterest and have a Pinterest Bake-off
  • Make Postcards to mail to friends from school
  • Use play dough or clay to make stop motion videos
  • Start a garden – plant some flowers, herbs or succulents
  • Puzzles, try some larger ones that you can work on every day
  • Perler Beads
  • Grab some yarn and learn to knit
  • Create scavenger hunts
  • Learn new card or board games, some of my favorites are:
    • Uno Flip, Crazy Eights, Connect 4, Headbandz, Mastermind, Monopoly National Parks Edition, Yahtzee and Rubix Race
  • Watercolors, do a painting a day
  • Rocks; paint rocks and leave them outside for others to find when you go for a walk
  • Geocaching – this is a cool app you can easily download. It takes you on local walks or hikes where you can find treasures, allowing you to sign the treasure book, take something and leave something
  • Make Sidewalk Chalk art for your neighbors
  • Take a walk on the beach, look for seashells or seaglass
  • Get a polaroid camera, take a picture a day and start a memory book
  • Check out books from the library
  • Discover new music
  • Take a Bike Ride

If you’re struggling with your child or teen, contact us to see how parenting counseling can help you find confidence.