Coronavirus has upended nearly everything about our day-to-day lives. Many states have mandated sweeping school closures, and other community mainstays, like restaurants and shopping centers, are beginning to follow suit. This leaves parents of school-aged children with a huge obstacle to overcome: keeping kids occupied and on-schedule during this period of uncertainty. Not sure how to recreate the structure schools provide at home? Start with these tips.
Start the day with their usual routine.
Much like adults are advised to stick to their usual morning routine when working from home, children benefit from the same structure. Don’t let them stay in bed all morning! Wake them up, prepare their breakfast, and ensure that they get dressed as if they were about to get dropped off at school. This will prepare your child for their “school day” - even if it’s taking place at home.
Schedule play or “recess” breaks.
Depending on the age of your child, play or recess breaks could occur once daily or multiple times throughout the morning and afternoon. Model these breaks after the ones that take place at school. Straying from this schedule could spell disaster for your child’s focus and productivity, so don’t forget to set aside plenty of playtime for them. Wondering about older children? You are advised to use your best judgment, but often, allowing middle- and high-schoolers one 30-minute block of free time is enough.
Add blocks of reading time.
Many parents are unsure how to provide homeschooling to their children while the coronavirus shuts down schools. If this resonates with you, don’t stress out – simply prioritize reading, writing, or any other skill that you believe your child could benefit from. Of course, how you structure learning time will depend on your child’s unique needs, but implementing a block of time dedicated to reading – or writing, or working on mathematical equations – is a good way to make sure that your child is honing critical, in-school skills, even when they’re away from their typical learning environment.
At Oxford at Tech Ridge Apartments in Austin, Texas, we understand how important it is to care for children during this trying time. Make this process that much easier when you employ some of these tips.