School’s Out – Tips to Parent Juggling
School’s Out – Tips to Parent Juggling
Many schools across the country just announced they’re officially closed the remainder of the year. Kids rejoice while parents have to figure out the art of juggling.
As a parent myself, I went straight into triage mode. I chose not to tell my kids because as it is, my oldest thinks this is “Spring Break”, and the second I tell him he’ll not be returning to the classroom this year, I will be fighting an uphill battle while trying to homeschool.
Another “problem” I face is how to balance working, homeschooling, and trying to keep them off screens throughout the day. After sleepless nights of research, and parent group texts, I’ve been able to compile a list of tips and tricks that should (hopefully) allow me to keep my sanity and still love my kids (jk I will always love them no matter what).
ESTABLISH A ROUTINE
I will live and die by a routine/schedule with my kids. They CRAVE routine, and they get it when we send them off to school. I have created a daily schedule for them and myself where they not only learn, but have fun, get exercise, and I can get work done. Here is a great resource for developing your own schedule that will work for your family.
WAKE UP BEFORE YOUR KIDS
This has been another game changer for me. With days blending together, I still set my alarm to wake up no later than 4:30am. I’m not saying you have to wake up that early, but just give yourself at least an hour before your kids are up. By doing this you are able to develop a ritual for yourself. This could be working out, meditating, enjoying coffee, catching up on email, etc. This is your time! Remember…you need to be 100% so that you can give 100%!
YOUTUBE WILL BE YOUR BEST FRIEND
Let me preface, we locked YouTube in our house a year ago because our son wanted to be the next toy unwrapping superstar. Fast forward to now and it’s a part of our daily routine. Below is a list of how we use YouTube.
Art Hub for Kids: Your kids will actually create some pretty amazing art with so many things to draw!
Cosmic Kids Yoga: This is daily! Our 4 year old is obsessed with this yoga because they tell a story while doing exercise!
GEOCACHE!
Photo credit: @golandsharkz
Geo what? Geocaching! Geocaching is modern day outdoor treasure hunting utilizing GPS enabled devices. While we were on our walk playing another game of Green Light, Red Light it dawned on me that we used to do Geocache date nights! I pulled up the app on my phone, and low and behold there were hundreds where we lived. I showed the kids and now they are hooked on finding treasures on our daily walks. Download the app by clicking here.
ONLINE LEARNING RESOURCES
Ok I said less screen time but let’s face it, there is some good stuff out there online! If you’re like me, I know my children’s learning style, their strengths, weaknesses, their passions, and their attention span when it comes to school work. Thank the stars for some pretty amazing online learning that we utilize here on a daily basis. Below is the list of the ones we have used in our house so far.
ABCMouse: This is perfect for our pre-schooler. It’s super interactive and also has mobile apps.
Khan Academy: Our 2nd grader is learning a lot through video learning + I am getting a refresher on my grammar too.
Scholastic Learn at Home: This is a great tool for reading! Our son loves to read and can spend hours on this site.
As we continue to quarantine and discover new ways to be a parent, teacher, and employee we will be sure to add to this list. Feel free to email us at info@sweatnetseattle.com if you have some other great tips for navigating through this time.
With love always,
Jen
As a parent myself, I went straight into triage mode. I chose not to tell my kids because as it is, my oldest thinks this is “Spring Break”, and the second I tell him he’ll not be returning to the classroom this year, I will be fighting an uphill battle while trying to homeschool.
Another “problem” I face is how to balance working, homeschooling, and trying to keep them off screens throughout the day. After sleepless nights of research, and parent group texts, I’ve been able to compile a list of tips and tricks that should (hopefully) allow me to keep my sanity and still love my kids (jk I will always love them no matter what).
ESTABLISH A ROUTINE
I will live and die by a routine/schedule with my kids. They CRAVE routine, and they get it when we send them off to school. I have created a daily schedule for them and myself where they not only learn, but have fun, get exercise, and I can get work done. Here is a great resource for developing your own schedule that will work for your family.
WAKE UP BEFORE YOUR KIDS
This has been another game changer for me. With days blending together, I still set my alarm to wake up no later than 4:30am. I’m not saying you have to wake up that early, but just give yourself at least an hour before your kids are up. By doing this you are able to develop a ritual for yourself. This could be working out, meditating, enjoying coffee, catching up on email, etc. This is your time! Remember…you need to be 100% so that you can give 100%!
YOUTUBE WILL BE YOUR BEST FRIEND
Let me preface, we locked YouTube in our house a year ago because our son wanted to be the next toy unwrapping superstar. Fast forward to now and it’s a part of our daily routine. Below is a list of how we use YouTube.
Art Hub for Kids: Your kids will actually create some pretty amazing art with so many things to draw!
Cosmic Kids Yoga: This is daily! Our 4 year old is obsessed with this yoga because they tell a story while doing exercise!
GEOCACHE!
Photo credit: @golandsharkz
Geo what? Geocaching! Geocaching is modern day outdoor treasure hunting utilizing GPS enabled devices. While we were on our walk playing another game of Green Light, Red Light it dawned on me that we used to do Geocache date nights! I pulled up the app on my phone, and low and behold there were hundreds where we lived. I showed the kids and now they are hooked on finding treasures on our daily walks. Download the app by clicking here.
ONLINE LEARNING RESOURCES
Ok I said less screen time but let’s face it, there is some good stuff out there online! If you’re like me, I know my children’s learning style, their strengths, weaknesses, their passions, and their attention span when it comes to school work. Thank the stars for some pretty amazing online learning that we utilize here on a daily basis. Below is the list of the ones we have used in our house so far.
ABCMouse: This is perfect for our pre-schooler. It’s super interactive and also has mobile apps.
Khan Academy: Our 2nd grader is learning a lot through video learning + I am getting a refresher on my grammar too.
Scholastic Learn at Home: This is a great tool for reading! Our son loves to read and can spend hours on this site.
As we continue to quarantine and discover new ways to be a parent, teacher, and employee we will be sure to add to this list. Feel free to email us at info@sweatnetseattle.com if you have some other great tips for navigating through this time.
With love always,
Jen
