During
this time of quarantine, I’ve noticed an abundance of free
subscriptions and memberships being poured out by all kinds of
educational resources. The generosity is heartwarming, but as a
parent sifting through it all I find it mind boggling. There is no
way I could take advantage of it all and I wouldn’t be doing my
kids a service by trying. Luckily my kids are receiving quality
academic and enrichment from their public school teachers. My
children have had plenty to do without being overwhelmed by school
work or becoming bored. I appreciate the quality of the assignments
that peak interest and keep their minds engaged. We have not received
any assignments that I would classify as busy work. Leaning on my
child’s teachers to provide their academic learning alleviates the
fatigue I will surely experience if I try to take advantage of every
educational offer out there right now.
As
an art teacher myself I feel like a curator for my school’s
families. It’s my job to sift out something meaningful for my
students to engage in each week. I encourage you to use your child’s
teacher as a primary resource. Let them curate each weeks learning
experiences. Of course there are
people who, for a variety of reasons may need to take a larger role
in their child’s education right now.
As
families find themselves housebound, I think some parents are feeling
a bit overwhelmed as they figure
out how to facilitate their child’s learning.
I appreciated this article Tips for Homeschooling During Coronavirus published by NPR. This
is a great opportunity for our kids to pursue their interests deeply.
“Bonus:
If it's something they're truly interested in, you won't have to bug
them to do it.” - Ana Homayoun, educational coach
My
biggest take aways from these first two weeks parenting
in
quarantine:
Guide
your child as they set the schedule for the day.
We set up an hourly schedule on the glass french doors in our
kitchen. Using crayola window markers I help my kids map out the day
so they meet their academic and
personal goals. Designate time for schoolwork, creative time, as well
as time to be physically active and spending some amount of time
outdoors. Reserve a short time each day to contribute to family by
completing chores. Let them take ownership over
their time
and
they will be more willing to keep the schedule.
Break
up the day by interspersing creative and physical activities
throughout the day. Providing
short breaks from school work by going for a quick walk around the
block, cuddling with a pet, building with Legos
or doing a short drawing tutorial online can help pace kids (and
parents) so they don’t get frustrated or burned out. Leaving all
the “fun stuff” for after school work is done, might seem like a
way to incentivize,
but I
found that using these
activities
to break up the day
as short term incentives work better for my family.
Slay
your dragons before lunch.
I was so proud of my youngest son for setting
his schedule to get his most challenging subject out of the way
first. It made all the difference for him to be able to choose
that for himself and see the advantage of it rather than if I forced
him to. Maybe
this experience will help him manage his time later on in life.
It’s
all about intention. A
planned pajama day can be fun, but staying in pj’s just because of
lack of motivation can be a slippery slope. Keeping a routine and
having standards like: everyone
has to be dressed and ready for the day by 9am on weekdays
can give structure to your day that will be beneficial in the long
run.
Extend
grace to your kids, your children’s teachers and yourself as you
navigate this unprecedented time. Even with the greatest
intentions and planning we will all have moments or even entire days
that don’t go well. When we have these rough times be prepared to
extend grace and just do the best you can under the circumstances.
What
lessons have you learned as you parent during this trying time?
