As I sit here thinking about the challenges of homeschooling my kids are cleaning up at the end of their home school day. They’re moaning, arguing and asking questions. I find myself getting annoyed with them because I need to work. Now more than ever, I remember why homeschooling has never been an option I would choose. I don’t have the expertise, the time or the patience and naturally, with everything that is going on in the world at this moment I am also anxious. Not a good combination for a teacher.
Getting used to our new reality
All around Lake Macquarie, there are households just like mine. Mums and Dads trying to navigate this new reality we are living in. People are stressed because they’ve lost their job, they’re sick, they are anxious about what the future holds and now they are responsible for teaching their children.
How long is this going to last?
How many days will my kids miss?
Will this impact their lives?
Their careers?
Will they need to repeat?
Our kids are different
All of our children are different. They all learn in different ways. They are all inspired by different things. They’re individuals. Some of your friends may be making this look easy. With timetables pinned to the fridge, kids that eagerly begin school at 9 am, that has to be dragged away from studying at 3:30 pm and who’ve taken to this like a duck to water. This only makes us feel more demoralised.
There’re no magic answers to this situation we find ourselves in. We’ll all find our own paths. I have been reading lots of comments from principals and teachers and the message I am getting loud and clear is not to worry. You’re not a teacher. You will not get them through the learning they were expected to accomplish this year. You won’t be able to deliver their curriculum for whatever year they are in.
Give them love
What’s important during this difficult time is that you make them feel safe, loved and listened to. If they need a few days to watch YouTube or Netflix or talk to their mates on the phone or over FaceTime then that is ok. Be patient. They’re anxious too. Their behaviour may change. They have no control over what is happening to them, even less than we do. Let them know you understand and you care and you are there for them. Give them some slack.
Structure
I find kids do benefit from some structure to their day, including homeschooling. Have a ‘start’ time to the day when they need to be dressed, teeth brushed, hair done and bed made. Keep a regular morning tea and lunchtime if you can. If your child finds it hard to sit and concentrate, find the time that works for them to do learning. Be flexible. Do things that inspire them. Let them bake, grow a veggie garden, do a Minecraft project or set up a sporting activity in the backyard. Encourage them to read or listen to a kids podcast.
Our timetable
Here’s an example of a timetable we follow. It worked for us this week. We’ll adapt it if we need to. My kids are both in primary school but are old enough to be able to manage themselves (mostly!!).
- 9am – 9:30am – Fitness
- 9:30am – 11am – Maths or English
- 11am – 11:20am – Morning Tea
- 11:20am – 1pm – Project time or music practice
- 1pm – 1:45pm – Lunch
- 1:45pm – 3:30pm – They choose – geography, spelling, times tables, drawing, drama, creative writing
Virtual friend time is important
We’ve found our kids thrive on having a virtual face to face friend time. During the day we have a friend who joins our ‘classroom’ over FaceTime. He’s part of the ‘class’ and the kids have found they enjoy working on projects together. Before school starts and at the end of the school day they’re allowed to FaceTime or use appropriate messaging apps to talk to their mates. The excited voices as they all connect in the morning or afternoon lifts everyone’s spirits.
Kid’s Activities during the Coronavirus
Over the period of this Coronavirus, we’ll find resources and share them with you. We’ve created a new section in our articles called ‘Kid’. Here you’ll find resources for the kids to d at home. If you find something please share it with us too in the comments below. We’ve got this Lake Macquarie.
You’ve got this.
Stay safe.
