Schools have now been closed for a number of weeks and children across the UK are learning from their homes once again. So, this is a shout out to all those parents who haven’t managed a full hot cup of coffee in weeks, who’s living room is a classroom, play area, dance floor and football pitch all in one.
We’re also talking to those parents who have had to learn Maths and English terms they’ve not thought about since school, and to those who have been referees, games organisers, motivators, cooks, cleaners, and personal assistants too. You are all superheroes!
And because sometimes it can feel really tough and lonely, we spoke to parents up and down the country who wanted to share their top tips on how to cope. Here’s what they had to say…
*Please note: All families have different needs and circumstances. Some of these tips may work for you but others might not and that’s OK.
‘We have two children in different year groups at primary school and they need a LOT of support due to their ages. This makes things tricky when we have full time jobs to do too. On the days that I feel like I’m being pulled in all directions, and the school work is just one aspect to think about, I find this ‘lockdown checklist’ pretty useful…
- Have we been outside today?
- Have we done something we enjoy today?
- Have we moved our bodies today?
- Have we eaten and drank enough water today?
- Have we spoken to anyone today?
If we manage to do everything on our list, then anything else is a bonus to be honest!’ ~ Sara
**’Home schooling is tough and sometimes my children are pretty reluctant so I find getting school work done in the morning really works for us. It gives us a time scale to get things done so in the afternoon we can focus on other things.’ ~ Helen
‘I have been putting so much pressure on myself to make sure all work is completed. My biggest tip is to keep in touch with school and let them know of any difficulties or stresses. They really do want to be as supportive as possible.’ ~ Louise
‘Don’t feel guilty about taking five minutes for yourself! That scrolling through your phone while your kids entertain themselves, the chat to a friend or that extra long shower is absolutely necessary in these times. It’s self care and we need it, especially now!’ ~ Dani
‘People who homeschool, outside of lockdown, often do it with a community of other homeschoolers. And while we can’t see each other in person right now, I’ve found creating your own community can really help reduce the overwhelm. Lean on other parents for moral support and get family members to ‘help’ via zoom if you can. My kids read to my mum every week on a video chat which gives me half an hour to myself (or more realistically to do the laundry or wash the dishes)! Basically, even though we are sometimes doing it alone, try to build your community as best you can so it doesn’t feel so lonely’ ~ Alex
**’Write a ‘rough’ schedule for the day and prepare snacks!’ ~ Lauren
‘If you can, get older siblings to help the younger ones with their school work for a set amount of time. This has been really helpful for us, especially when I’ve had to attend my own work meetings! Plus, it’s actually helped them to bond.’ ~ Nik
