COVID-19 continues to ravage the United States. There are over 160,000 confirmed deaths of coronavirus. This brings up concerns about children returning to school after their summer vacation.
Many school districts throughout the country are only doing 2-3 days of in-person instruction or completely returning to remote learning for the start of the 2020-2021 school year. Parents who can stay home with their kids are tasked with homeschooling them while working from home so the entire family can stay safe from COVID-19.
If you are becoming a homeschool parent, here are 3 tips for homeschooling your kids during the COVID-19 pandemic.
1. Follow a Routine
A set routine keeps you and your children on task throughout the day. Children thrive off of schedules to direct them to complete their responsibilities.
Here is an example of a homeschooling schedule that you could follow if you have older children.
7:30am: Wake up and get ready for the day.
8:00am: Eat breakfast.
8:30am: Work on homeschool assignments from the district.
10:30am: Snack and brain break
11:00am: Work on homeschool assignments from the district
12:00pm: Lunch
12:30pm: Recess
1:00pm: Finalize and submit homeschool assignments.
If you are homeschooling toddlers, try this schedule.
7:30am: Wake up and get ready for the day.
8:00am: Eat breakfast.
8:30am: Free Play
9:00am: Circle Time
9:15am: Learning Centers
10:15am: Outdoor Play
11:15am: Lunch Prep
11:30am: Lunch
12:00pm: Potty Time/Read
12:30pm: Nap
2:30pm: Snack
2:45pm: Outdoor Play or Gross Motor Time
Try these tips to get you started on following a homeschooling routine with your children.
Use the proposed schedules above as a template and edit as necessary to fit your desired order of routine.
Type up your final schedule and print it out to keep on your fridge.
If you have a whiteboard, write your schedule on there for you and your children to refer to on a daily basis.
If your kids are old enough and have Google accounts, go the extra mile and make a Google calendar schedule for all of you.
2. A Craft Cart and Pinterest Will Be Your New Best Friends!
No matter your child’s age, keep a craft card full of construction paper, markers, crayons, stickers, foam, tape, glue, glitter, and whatever else you can think of to use for art time.
Especially with younger kids, they usually do crafts at daycare and preschool every day. Even as your kids get older, they will want a creative outlet to express themselves. Keeping a craft cart is a great way for your kids to have fun and feel inspired as they use their imagination to upcycle what you already have on hand and turn it into something new.
Are you having trouble thinking of a new craft idea? Check Pinterest. There are tons of craft ideas that you can use to discover engaging crafts for your kids to do to keep their brains busy and lessen their screen time.
3. Set the Learning Environment
Choose an area in your home that is free of distractions and promotes engaged learning for your children. It could be the kitchen, living room, dining room, or a spare bedroom that you turned into a classroom.
Here are some words of caution while setting the learning environment.
Setting a Strict “No Electronics Time” While Completing School Work.
Otherwise, your kids will get distracted and not be as engaged in their education if they are constantly texting friends or getting engrossed in their favorite television show.
Have an Electronics Bin
While your mini me’s are hard at work, be sure that all their cell phones, tablets, and handheld gaming devices are turned off and placed into a designated electronics bin. They can receive their electronic back during break times once you have checked and approved their completed school work.
Be There to Help
School work can be tricky for children just learning the material. While you may not know everything about the subject, try your best to be there to help your children through their assignments without giving them all the answers. If the work is too difficult for you or your child, seek guidance from his or her teacher about how you can help your mini me complete the work properly.
Conclusion
For those of you able to homeschool your children, kudos to you! It’s not easy educating your children while also working from home or while being a stay-at-home parent to younger children or infants.
Remember: don’t be afraid to ask for help. Join local homeschooling groups on Facebook. Reach out to your children’s teachers for guidance on how to teach your children the educational material they are learning for the current week. If you are able, enlist the help of family and/or friends to help out with homeschooling your kids while you get some remote work or errands done.
You’re a great parent and always doing what you can for your kids to help them succeed. Remember to also take care of yourself so that you are in the best shape possible to take care of your children, too!
Happy homeschooling!
