Nervous about school closures? Here are ideas from a Homeschooling Mom of 4
Are you feeling overwhelmed by the upcoming school closures? As a homeschooling mom, I would like to offer advice and share my typical day with you in hopes you find encouragement and ideas about two weeks home with all your children.
First, PLAN AHEAD. Make a plan this weekend for what you want your days to look like. Gather the materials you can. Get a basic schedule for the week and plan special activities for each day (i.e. Monday – Play a board game, Tuesday – Watch an exercise video, Wednesday – make a special dessert, Thursday – Do an art project, Friday – watch a movie). Also, plan the NIGHT BEFORE. This is so important – mentally prepare for your day tomorrow so you can lead the day rather than feel like the day (or your children) are leading in chaos. Prepare supplies for a craft or activity. I also like to pack their lunches the night before so I don’t have to disrupt my afternoon to prepare lunch. We can go straight from activities to eating lunch.
Secondly, SCHEDULE and ROUTINE. Kids thrive on routine. Especially when the world seems to be in chaos, routine is vital to help calm anxiety (in kids and adults too). Have a basic plan and routine for your day. Try your best to keep it consistent. Here is my basic routine (I am not putting times with my schedule because when I do things is not as important as the order I do things. Plus, everyone’s start time to the day is different)
BREAKFAST
CHORES & Music Practice
- Assign chores. You can rotate them by day or by week. With everyone at home all day every day, everyone needs to pitch in to help keep the house clean.
- Chore ideas: dishes, wiping down the bathroom sink, wiping down door knobs, banisters, light switches, toilet handles, sweeping, dusting, folding laundry, and oh so many more.
AT TABLE TIME (SCHOOL WORK) – I do set a goal to be done with our morning house work by a certain time. It helps keep me motivated to keep the engine of our home chugging along.
- Do work sent home from your child’s school
- Print out review worksheets over the weekend , place them in a binder for each child. The child then just works on one or two worksheets a day. Click the picture below to go to my store to find TONS of great worksheets and printables. I highly recommend Preschool/Kindergarten worksheets, Reading Stories (Food & Simple Machines), and tons of Math Drills (time, money, computation, word problems).
- Do a group family activity
Science experiments
S. S. Geography Unit (click below for the link to a fun U. S. Geography Unit)
SNACK TIME
- Read Aloud to your child (snuggle up the couch) The Read Aloud Family is a great resource for how and what to read aloud to your entire family.
o If you are tired of reading aloud to your kids, check out these videos of me reading aloud to my child. I will be posting more videos of stories over the coming weeks. Continue to check my website for more read alouds and stories.
o You could also record yourself reading aloud to your kids, post it to youtube and share your story with your friends. A great way to share books, share reading responsibilities, and to see friends when we can’t be together in person.
- Memorize & Review
o Review spelling words
o Learn a poem or a hymn or a song together
o Learn Catechism questions (if you are religious)
ACTIVITY TIME
- Do a craft together. Hello, Pinterest!
- Sensory Bins are great for almost any age – use playdough, rocks, dried beans, water beans, dried rice. Add spoons and measuring cups – hours of fun!
- Play a game
o Pick a board game you already have.
o Don’t have any board games – here are some easy games that you only need a paper and a pencil
Tic Tac Toe
The Dot Game
Battle Ship
Hidden Pictures
EXERCISE TIME – nobody wants to be cooped up all the time. Here are ideas for getting the wiggles out
- If you can, go outside – even if it’s just your backyard.
- Do an exercise video together. Put on music and dance together.
- Do a scavenger hunt (use candy, small toys, heck, you could even use balled up socks!)
- Do a spelling hunt – hide their words on post it notes throughout the house. When then find it, they have to practice spelling it three times. Then they mark their initial on it to show they found it.
- Create a spider web on the wall using masking tape sticky side out and throw cotton balls at it.
- Place pillows on the floor and play the floor is lava.
LUNCH Time and some free play time.
QUIET TIME: We have quiet time every day. It helps that the 2 year old still needs a nap, but the big kids need some alone time too. And let’s face it – so does Mom.
- Everyone gets their own quiet time spot.
- In each spot there are special toys only to be played with during quiet time (makes them more fun). Kids can also take books and writing/coloring supplies (if trustworthy)
- Rotate kids through the spots.
o Monday: Child 1 is in master bed room, child 2 is in guest room, child 3 is in the basement
o Tuesday: 1 is in the Guest room, Child 2 is in the basement, child 3 is in the master room
o Etc.
- Mom /Dad – you could choose to spend the first hour of quiet time with one child a day. Then the second part of quiet time, take time to yourself. Or you could just choose to take the whole quiet time to yourself (honestly, this is what I do).
SCREEN TIME: while I prepare dinner, the kids get to watch a movie or a TV show. I like to have their shows assigned for each day – cuts down on the arguing of what they want to watch. It’s Monday – great, you’re watching Octonauts, no arguing.
DINNER
FAMILY PLAY TIME: Daddy is usually home at this point and we either do a family activity or Daddy takes them to the backyard to play.
BEDTIME
Thirdly, LOOK FOR THE SILVER LINING. Redeem this time, use it to soak up snuggles and have good conversations. Further their education, travel to exotic places through books, memorize a poem, laugh together. Truly, try to enjoy the time with your children. Reach out for encouragement, reach out if you’re stressed. Call someone, put your bare feet in grass, take a bath, pray. Don’t force the enjoyment – if it’s hard, that’s because it IS hard. Get help, ask for help, tell a friend. But try to have a mind-set that looks for joy. Time with our children is always a gift.