Our boys, like so many other children, have started their senior and kindergarten year virtually. It has had its ups and downs to say the least. I wanted to share some of the things we have been doing to survive virtual school this year.
1. Be flexible
I know every mom blog says this because it is probably the hardest thing to implement. Yes they have scheduled Zoom meetings with their teachers but enjoy the times in between. Even if it is just for 20 minutes. Schedule your morning break with a quick game of basketball, catch or pickle ball. Take a short bike ride around your neighborhood or to your nearest park. We incorporate our break times with whatever I overhear the teacher discussing in the meeting. Literacy equals letter hunts. Signs, license plates and garden plaques are all great places to recognize letters and work on reading. For math do a walking number search or collect a specific number of rocks, sticks, leaves, flowers, pinecones or anything you can find in nature. (This can also lead to crafts later in the day)
2. You have built in cleaning assistants.
Walk away from the constant tiding. You and your kids are home all day. It's going to be messy. Even toddlers can help with clean up. Have them put away their school work or toys before dragging out the next mess. Teach them to make their bed (and actually follow through by making them do it), have them take part in putting away the dishes, and help fold or carry laundry. Little kids love washing windows, dusting and leaf clean up. This is rewarding for them and you. Whatever you do, do NOT micromanage how a task is done. This is self destructive and will hurt your little persons ego and confidence.
3.Get outside!
We have gotten extremely good at prioritizing urban adventures. Even during the lunch hour we drive, walk or bike to a nearby trail or new park. My guys eat and snack during Zoom so we can free up the lunch hour. This allows us to explore and exercise during the longer break. If we can't make that work get outside immediately following the last Zoom of the day. There is no better classroom than being outside. I can't begin to tell you how happy this makes both of us. As soon as we are in nature our youngest takes off running and within 5 minutes says "this is so much fun!" Seriously, every single time! He is in a constant state of joy and awe over all our discoveries. For me personally this is the best part of each day. I feel stronger, confident and a better parent when we are on these little adventures.
4. Take time for you
The house can be cleaned before dinner. Take time during a Zoom lesson for a quick Youtube work out. I love Yoga by Adrienne, Pop Sugar and Fitness Blender workouts. There are literally thousands of workouts with varying levels of intensity and time.
5. Rotate your child's space
Every 2 weeks or so I will swap out toys and create little trays of complimentary work. I picked up random trays and baskets at a local thrift store. Sorting, math, writing and drawing stories are all ways they can still be learning through play. This week we are focusing on creating so the legos, marble set, and math blocks are keeping things fresh and new. Your kids will be excited about the rotation and this will limit the amount of mess there is to clean up at the end of the day.
I hope you find some of these tips helpful. I say that knowing a lot of readers are parents working from home. I realize that your time restraints are much tighter but hopefully you can find tips in here that will help your family balance work and school.
I spend a lot of my focus on this topic as I lost my identity once Covid hit. My new role as a stay home mom/teacher has been a huge financial adjustment and mental struggle for me personally. My background in experiential events marketing makes me a bit obsessive but extremely focused on this product that is our families home learning life. There are more home learning ideas in my other blogs. Happy Virtual Schooling!