Navigating Homeschooling While Working from Home

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With all the chaos of COVID-19 health restrictions and social isolation, working from home and homeschooling your children at the same time can be extremely difficult, frustrating and stressful. With the school finally at an end and kids home for the summer, the house can be a chaotic place. We all know that a mother or father that is stressed out can not parent their child the best way they can and it can create a hostile and tense environment for everyone. That's why I have gathered a few helpful tips to keep your child learning and busy, give yourself space to work and keep everyone sane in the process (a win-win situation!).

First and foremost, it is crucial to keep a routine for your child and yourself to keep some sort of normalcy in the day. Start your day off getting dressed (even if its just into another pair of sweatpants) and have a balanced breakfast. Then, plan out your day so your child is getting ample time practicing and learning curriculum content for at least an hour or two (in chunks), going outside and getting exercise, and spending time as a family. Make sure you are also setting aside time for tons of breaks and meals, as it is easy to work through lunch when working from home (hangry is a real mood!).

As parents (who already have a lot on their plate) finding out what activities and lessons to supply your child with at home is a hassle and a lot of work. I recommend reaching out to your child's teacher and/or tutor to discuss areas of improvement and where you can challenge your child academically. Since the school year has come to an end, use your child's final report card grades, comments, and "next steps" section to figure out what you can focus on at home. Being away from school makes it easier to forget content and makes learning less of a priority - out of sight, out of mind! - so try to keep your child learning (and busy) during this time.

Another important tip is socialization! Although school is a place for your child to learn curriculum content, it's also where your child learns social skills and builds long-lasting relationships with their peers. A quick FaceTime call at the end of the week can be something that your child looks forward to (a great incentive to keep them behaving their best) and keeps some sort of normalcy in their lives to add to that routine I previously mentioned. Especially during this pandemic, children are losing the crucial learning moments they have during recess, play dates and group activities so be sure to keep in contact with other parents and families to continually build those relationships and social skills.

Finally, remember to communicate with your child and ask them how they are feeling! This is a chaotic and confusing time for children. They were taken out of school, kept away from their friends and teacher, they are now stuck at home and their days look very different than what they are used to. It is crucial to check in on them and how they are dealing with everything. Mental health checks can be as simple as, "How do you feel today?" "What do you want to talk about?" and "Do you have any questions about what is going on?" Also, discuss strategies to keep anxiety, fear and uncertain feelings at bay. This can be practicing yoga, breathing exercises and/or physical exercise, which all can be done as family activities too!

As crazy as the world is right now, let's do our best to conquer this together! I hope these few tips are helpful and provide some relief to your household. Look out for some helpful resources for homeschooling that I will be posting in the very near future! Have a great summer!!

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