Tools to Keep Your Kids From Driving You Cray in the Midst of a Pandemic!
Many of you find yourselves in the same position as me, hunkered down and on telework but also navigating trying to keep minimal structure in place for your children during what may potentially be a long lapse in learning. I even heard today some districts have already shut down for the remainder of the school year! I am at least thankful I don’t have small children so it’s not a question of keeping them occupied as much as it’s just making sure they’re learning. I will advise that Parents should temper expectations, there’s no way kids are gonna learn at home the same as they do in the classroom however I do want mine to know this is not a vacation. But I’m also really big about my kids feeling empowered so the checklist that I posted to my IG Stories that so many of you responded to, I permitted my 14 year old twins to have a say. This is not a dictatorship, I want them to play a participatory role in their success. It’s not a firm schedule, it’s loose and subject to change but it at least provides them some direction. And I purposely built it as a checklist and print out copies so they have something tangible that they can see. The same as I love a good check off my list of to-do’s so too do kids.
I heard good advice on the Today Show regarding letting your kids sleep in like don’t wake them at 6a or 7a but when they do get up, have a timeline for the day and I feel very strongly although it goes without saying mine will eat but being able to see on their checklist lunch, recess (my daughter did a YouTube workout yesterday), makes a difference. They don’t just see work and study time. I also allotted the last hour for them to decide what they wanted to do as long as it was focused on something.
I built the template on Canva and I’m sharing with you. Even if not familiar with Canva it’s fairly intuitive and you can change the times and tasks to fit the needs of your kids. I’m also adding a few links at the end that may help. One thing I might suggest is that you join your students for an hour at the table and do a family co-working session or invite them into your office space to work with you. Our collective time is the morning Zoom call, we do a check-in and discuss how everyone is feeling not just as it relates to schoolwork but just in the midst of this pandemic. Prayerfully this will all be over more sooner than later.
Learning and virtual links:
Comcast Providing Free Internet Service for 60 Days
PBS Kid Daily Newsletter with Activities & Resources
Best Websites for Kids (All Ages)
Activities for Kids to Do at Home (All Ages)
Best Learning Apps & Games for Kids (All Ages)
Educational Activities to Do at Home (Ages 3 to 12)
