Since we’re now on lockdown, today was day one of home-schooling for my family. With so much on everyone’s minds right now, and people being so stressed about how their kids’ education is being disrupted, I thought it might help others if I shared our experience.

It didn’t start well. While drinking my morning coffee, I overheard an argument between my husband and my daughter about starting schoolwork today. She had woken up earlier than expected, before I was ready to get started. So he told her to just go and do her work, and she flatly refused.

I’ll give him credit for trying, but his approach failed because he didn’t provide any structure. Like most of us, our daughter has never experienced home schooling, so she had no idea how to follow his vague instructions. That made her anxious. I decided to relieve her anxiety by having her sit with me while I made her a schedule. It wasn’t a collaborative effort, but at least she could see what I was up to. The schedule was flexible – more like a list really – but she got through all of it. This is what I assigned her:

1.       Read your book for 30 minutes.  (She set a timer and stopped after exactly 30 minutes.  I didn’t mention the book report I’m considering for another day!)

2.       Play a game or draw a picture for 30 minutes.  She chose to draw.

3.       Complete a spelling activity.  I picked this because I happened to have it handy, so just find something online that’s appropriate for your child.  Apart from improving her actual spelling, I also challenged her to read and understand the instructions independently.

4.       Make a craft for 30 minutes.  She chose to make Fimo characters which I’ll bake later.

5.       Complete a math activity.  To get things started on the right foot today, I had her do an exercise similar to one from a unit earlier in the school year.

6.       Explore some online learning sites recommended by our local government.  This didn’t go so well to be honest, the sites were awful.

7.       Take a break to participate in an online “Camp Dance” session released by her summer camp.

8.       Phys Ed.  Her swim coach emailed the kids an exercise routine, and I had her teenage brother lead her through it.  That took an hour while I made dinner.

The day was successful. My daughter was amazed that I’d scheduled in several play breaks, so she didn’t mind doing the academics. She was focused and motivated, and actually did a great job even in subjects which she dislikes. Having everything written down gave her the confidence to take control of her own learning, and she was proud to be working from home just like the rest of the family. Tomorrow we’ll keep it pretty similar, but we’ll mix in some science and French.

There’s something important I should mention. The assignments I gave my daughter were pretty easy, but that was deliberate. Sure I’m a teacher, and I could have created a tough academic schedule for her, but I’m not her teacher. I’m her mom. My role right now is not to deliver the entire Grade 4 curriculum. It’s to provide family time, to remain calm because children follow our example, and to make the experience as enjoyable as possible.

I hope some of these ideas can help your family to get through this difficult time. Stay safe everyone.

Hi, I’m Stacey!

Since 2010 I've helped kids, teens, and adults with social, academic, and behavior challenges.

I'm passionate about helping people to break through their social limitations to improve their lives. 

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