All across the country, parents are getting a first-hand look at just what teachers go through each day. Because of shelter-at-home restrictions, home-schooling is becoming the new normal, if only for a little while. This is much more than taking time after dinner to finish homework. Instead, parents are becoming the teachers in the effort to keep everyone learning. Thankfully, school districts have managed to provide online materials and assignments. That’s the first step.
Here’s how to make home-schooling work in your home:
Have a Family Meeting
It will help to start with a family meeting to lay out the goals of homeschooling. Older kids get the message but younger kids need to know that just because they’re home doesn’t mean it is around the clock playtime. You need to set the goals for them to continue with their lessons.
Set a Schedule
It is important to maintain some semblance of a consistent school schedule. That means you want to keep the same bedtimes and wake up times. It might help to have a school session in the morning and one in the afternoon. That will provide you with some much-needed breaks in between. You might also find that all your lessons during the day mean no need for homework at night.
Create a Class Zone
You should also set up a temporary class zone. You might already have a version of this for their homework. But for home-schooling, you’ll probably need the kids to have access to a computer and printer. It might mean giving up the dining room table for the duration but it will be worth it to have a dedicated spot that is free from distractions.
Use Motivation
Children will often become distracted with home-schooling. There is a big pull for playing, watching TV, or gaming. You can actually use all of that to your advantage. Let the reward for the completion of an assignment be those fun things the kids want to do. Of course, you would let them do those things anyway but if you can frame it as a reward for good work, then it will help with any flare-ups of bad tempers.
Be Flexible
Every assignment that will be sent to the kids will have a due date. It is important to stick to the schedule but it is also important to be flexible. There might come a time when everyone in the family needs a break. The school work can wait in exchange for a movie or cooking baking break.
When this is all over, you’ll have a new appreciation for all the hard work that your teachers do.
