After we talked about how you can get YOUR work done while your kids are at home, you all wanted to know: HOW DO I HELP MY KID GET *THEIR* WORK DONE RIGHT NOW???
So. Deep breaths. We can do this.
First of all, you are the expert on your kid. You are the expert on your family. You can do this.
I’ve homeschooled my six kids from kindergarten all the way through high school, and here is the good news I know: kids are always learning. It’s going to look different in this season, but it’s going to be okay.
Here’s what has worked to help our kids get through their learning activities each day, from kindergarten all the way through high school.
How to Help Kids With Learning at Home
Start With The Top Priorities
Our kids know that their priorities each day are to get dressed and do their chores, to work on their learning activities, to get some fresh air outside, to move their bodies, to read something, and to create something.
They get to decide how and where and in which order they do those things, but they know we aren’t going to do anything ELSE (hello, iPad) until those things are done.
Set Goals Together
You’re a team now, and letting your kids make decisions about how they’re going to do their work helps them feel like part of the team.
Where will the work get done? How will the work get done? When will it happen? In which order will things be tackled? Giving kids ownership over as much of this as possible is super helpful. This way, they get to have some power over a situation that might otherwise feel a little overwhelming.
Consider (And Re-Consider) Your Routine
Some of my kids have needed a clear, predictable routine to be able to stay on track. Others have resisted routine, and done better with more choices within flexible boundaries.
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to what your routine should look like.
You know your kids best and probably already have an idea of how much structure they need—and if not, it’s 100% okay to experiment.
You can try a strict structure and see what happens. You can try having no structure and see what happens. You can try having a routine to your days without a schedule attached. You can try and see what works, and let go of what doesn’t. It’s all allowed.
They’re Always Learning
The good news is, kids are really, really good at learning things. Right now they are learning about life. They are learning about how to respond to the world at times like this. They are learning about flexibility, and hand-washing, and social responsibility.
They might be learning more about household chores, or about relationship skills, or about creativity.
Even if they’re learning different things than we expected them to be working on right now, they’re still learning. And there will be more time for learning the other stuff as they go on.
It really is all going to be okay. You can do this. (And so can they!)
