March 2020

Right now, in this particular moment - educating your now home-bound child should not be your priority. We are not experiencing an education pandemic, we are all silently and collectively fighting an invisible war. We are living through what will be forever remembered as a time of unknown, worry & fear and the weight is felt on all shoulders - young and old. Yet - here you are being told your child’s academic future now lies in your hands. Your possibly nervous, unwilling and not-so-informed hands.

I am here to tell you, as a teacher, that ‘homeschooling’ is not something that you should simply know how to do because the responsibility has been thrust upon you. You’re not qualified, nor currently equipped to fulfill this task at the moment. Let’s remember, up until now you have trusted someone with a minimum of 4 years bachelor degree under their belt to educate your kids. So, the overwhelm, the uncertainty and the frustration you may be feeling is all valid and bloody warranted. You may have high hopes, big plans and grand ideas to use this time to keep moving your child along the learning scale and I applaud you! But I want to reassure you that if some mornings it all goes to crap before breakfast, your ‘students’ can’t stand to be near you or each other for more than a minute or you have days you just can’t bring yourself to entertain the ‘class’ - then stop.

Stop, breathe, change course, let them self-entertain, give yourself a break.

For these next few weeks, as we wait for the crazy to unfold and the storm to pass - my advice would be to bunker down and love hard. Children feel the worries of our world, they feed off our energy and can read our body language more than we realise. We may see more tantrums, more meltdowns and more defiance - this is all part of their coping. They are coping with not seeing their friends, being confined to the house and missing their school routine - not the mention the CV elephant in the room. If term two rolls around and we are still in this predicament (which I think is likely), then I can guarantee that you will be very much supported remotely by your school. I know, as an insider, that all the wonderful teachers are working bloody hard to create accessible, quality home-learning that will keep your child's learning moving along and that will make your days as their 'teacher' easier. Then, when all of this passes and we are back on track, the teachers will course correct and work forwards in a kind, gentle and professional way. After all, by then, we will have all survived a war.

So, with that in mind, while we are all wading through this together as a society - please be kind to yourself and to your kids. Use this time to engage in fun, family activities but also give everyone time to breathe, to digest, to feel. Below, have collated a collection of ideas, games, activities, websites and apps that will hit some academic markers but also keep your sanity in check. Feel free to scroll down, hopefully you find something that might work for you.

Big love, J x

ACTIVITIES

Plenty of ideas to keep your kids entertained and educated while parents stay sane

Other awesome FREE online printables and activities for Easter & sanity