Ten Timetabling Tips for New Home-Schoolers & How to Discuss Covid-19 with your Children

 

With significantly more schools having shut down in recent days, it is great to see the unity and support within the education sector as teachers and education companies work together to provide advice and guidance to parents, carers and minders embarking on home-schooling for the first time. 

 

Although I say home-schooling, I’m mindful this will look different for everyone and will be particularly challenging for working parents. To this end, we would like to help as much as possible with practical resources, guidance, and advice. Here at Dumond, we have made some of our most popular resources available for free in our shop. Learn more about these great resources in this post. In a previous post, we also provided lots of links to free online resources from other companies, as well as some tips and guidelines for parents. 

 

 

Today, we will provide some further guidance on creating a timetable that works for your family and discussing the virus (and why home-schooling is necessary) with your child/ren.

 

Ireland closed schools abruptly on Thursday (March 12^th), taking many schools and parents by surprise. Judging by comments on social media, 1 of 2 things happened – some parents gave their children Friday off with the plan to begin some school work on Monday; in other families, children taken with the novelty of the situation undertook some school work independently. As the virus continues to escalate, it is important to be prepared for abrupt school closures in other locations.

 

It is likely as home-schooling becomes the new norm, and more schools across the world are closed, household battles over work will ensue and the novelty of self-directed study will wear off for some. This is particularly likely to be the case with less-favoured subjects. Thankfully, there are ways to minimise such arguments. One of these, as advised previously, is to create a timetable and plan for the establishment of new routines.

 

 

Routines and timetables are important in creating a sense of stability. Children benefit from structure, consistency and predictability. As their normal routines are now thrown into chaos, working to create new ones is important. This is a challenge as, obviously, we are dealing with the unknown at present. We do not know how long these closures may last for, so we can only aim for general guidelines and plan based on daily reflection.  

 

Some thoughts regarding the establishment of new routines and timetables and explaining this situation to children.

 

1. Make a list of all the things to be accomplished each day, e.g. household chores, preparing and eating meals and snacks, individual subject lessons, physical exercise, creativity time, free time for self-directed activities, relaxation and play, and time for self-care.

 

2. As this is an uncertain time, anything that can be maintained from your current schedule is likely to be helpful. Can dinner be served at the same time? Can the same bedtime routines be maintained?

 

3. Start to create a timetable beginning with morning and night routines and scheduling in meal and snack times (this may include prep time).

 

4. Identify the windows of time in which you/your childminder can work with your child/ren on various activities. This will vary greatly according to family dynamics (no. of children in the home and their ages and stages of development, parental working hours etc.). In so far as possible, block off windows of time for learning. In some households, a precise timetable may be possible; in others, plans may have to be made to facilitate teaching and learning while younger children sleep. Consider what works best for your family. Acknowledge you may need to use devices and electronics for periods, especially if you are required to work from home, aiming, where possible, to use them for educational purposes and not solely entertainment.

 

 

5. Consider when and how to incorporate movement and exercise breaks. It is helpful for children to take frequent movement breaks in between learning sessions. I have previously suggested Go Noodle for such activities, but it is also very important to factor in time outdoors.

 

6. Make a list of the household tasks your child/ren can help you with. The value of equipping them with life-skills is immeasurable, and these closure days may provide a good opportunity for further development in these areas. Consider how to involve your child/ren in taking a greater role in meal preparation, cleaning etc.

 

7. Identify the subject areas and the content you plan to cover with your child. Use guidelines from school as a basis for this. Some schools may have sent home specific work to be covered which makes life much easier if this is the case. Otherwise, look to some of the websites previously linked for additional resources and support materials to help you plan. 

 

8. Try to incorporate fun throughout the day. You may find our free CardEd activities helpful in this regard.

 

9. The uncertainty of what is going on, all the changes to normal routines, and the fact children can no longer attend clubs or mingle with their friends may lead to increased anxiety and stress for children. It is important to facilitate ways in which they can connect with their friends. As part of their free time, children who are feeling lonely may wish to play an online game with their friends or WhatsApp them. Talk your child/ren through what is happening and why (at a level appropriate to their age and understanding) and answer any questions they may have.

 

Discussing covid-19 with your child/ren

Explain children are being asked to stay at home and people are being asked not to get together in big groups as part of a plan to stop bugs being passed along and lots of people getting sick. Talk to them about the proactive steps they can take to stay healthy.

 

• They must wash their hands with soap lots of times throughout the day.

• They must try very hard not to touch their faces or pick their noses.

• They should cough or sneeze into the crook of their elbow rather than into their hands. If they forget and sneeze or cough into their hands, they should wash them immediately.

• Play a game and ask your child/ren to think about all the surfaces or things in the house we touch frequently (door handles, phones/tablets, toys, table and chairs etc.) and have them help you wipe them down. You may wish to do this on a room-by-room basis.

• Discuss general ways we maintain good health (e.g. healthy diet, getting lots of exercise, ensuring we have lots of sleep etc.).

• Refer to the positive healthy actions and choices you notice your child/ren making throughout the day and praise them for it.

 

 

 

10. Routines take time to establish and finding a timetable that works well for your family may take some time. Allow time for reflection and changes to be made to find the formula that works for your family.

 

In our next post, we will examine ways to reduce stress and arguments when home-schooling. If you have any advice or comments that may help fellow parents and carers at this time, please share with us.

 

Take care. Stay safe and healthy all!