Parents: Surviving Temporary Homeschoolin
Many of us are finishing up the first week of being thrust into working from home and homeschooling due to the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic. From talking to a few of my friends and family members with kids at home, moods have ranged from “teachers aren’t paid enough“ to “we haven’t killed each other yet”. Below, is a list of tips that I’ve collected from educators, parents and online articles.
1. Breathe
There are a lot of online articles with lists for parents to do. Our lives have been disrupted. Many of us are working from home for the first time and are self-isolating. Getting basic essentials, such as toilet paper has become a significant challenge. We don’t feel safe; a sneeze or a cough from a nearby stranger feels life-threatening. Many of us are facing reduced hours, layoffs and significant business losses. In the midst of all of this chaos, parents are expected to be productive homeschool teachers to children who have been snatched out of their comfortable routines and away from their friends. Give yourself and your children the space to process the trauma they are experiencing.
2. Make a daily schedule
Plan a general daily schedule and post it in a prominent location to keep everyone on task throughout the day. This is useful for kids as well as adults newly working from home. Meet with the family to go through the schedule and emphasize the importance of continued learning. Additionally, set alarms for important things. Do give yourself and your family freedom to occasionally veer from the schedule as needed. Especially with evolving COVID-19 guidelines.
3. Develop a contract for behavior
I’m not a big fan of rules, but come up with some behavior agreements that you all can keep as a family. Have everyone in the family (who is old enough to comprehend them, of course) sign them and also post them in a prominent place. Meet with the family and review each of the guidelines and encourage open discussion and agreement. This adds some accountability.
4. Reward good behavior
Good behavior should be rewarded! One of my cousins puts toys and rewards on the top of the fridge for her three young boys (WHEW!) and requires them to earn the rewards with good behavior—keeping their rooms clean and doing their homework. Each of her sons has their own decorated jar on a counter where she adds popsicle sticks for good behavior. Once they have earned enough popsicle sticks, they can exchange them for one of their rewards.
Adults should be rewarded as well. Personally, I use gold stars in my schedule, color coded for the areas that I’m working on—relationships, health, creative expression and wealth.
5. Mind your wellness
Have healthy snacks and schedule a designated snack time. It’s important to keep healthy. Snacks can give you some buffer for meal prep if you’re running behind schedule.
Find some exercises to do daily and if possible schedule getting outside at least 2 or 3 times a day. Again, put it in the schedule and make it an activity for the entire family. One of my acquaintances organized an indoor scavenger hunt for their kids and they loved it.
6. Keep your workspaces and learning spaces clean and organized
Do your best to keep organized so that you and your family are able to find things that you need. This will help keep your collective stress levels as low. Add cleaning to your daily schedule and make time to help the little ones get into the habit of picking up after themselves.
7. Create quiet spaces
Make a timeout space for your children’s meltdowns. I’ve seen creative photos posted online for Quiet Corners and Calm Down Corners. My five-year-old nephew takes his “me time” in his closet. Don’t forget your own quiet corner as well. I love to sit in my back yard.
One of my Facebook friends got creative with her kids’ quiet corner.
8. Find online resources and support
There are several homeschooling websites online including some work-from-home Facebook groups. Check out our list of resources that include educational tutorials and mindfulness classes.
9. Review hygiene and Coronavirus prevention rules
Have a meeting to discuss cleanliness rules around washing hands, sneezing and coughing in a way to prevent the spread of germs. Review them with your kids frequently to build good habits. The following are official recommendations from the CDC’s site.
10. Check-in with each other
Keeping everyone’s spirits up is key to productive homeschooling. Meet to check in with the family daily to discuss how everyone is feeling and what they learned throughout the day. We have more tips on our mindfulness page.
Also, this would be a good time for FaceTime check-ins with long-distance family members and friends. Some of my friends are conducting online dance classes, book clubs and even happy hours.
If this list is a lot, remember, that it is unrealistic to expect working parents to all of a sudden become teachers. Check out this New York Times Article for support: Opinion: Opinion: Refuse to run a Coronavirus Homeschool.
