6 Tips for Surviving Virtual School

Here are 6 Tips to Help Us Survive

Set a schedule and stick with it. Everyone should know what to expect out of each day. Don’t treat this as a free for all, sleep late, get your work done when you feel like it kind of stay-home. Get them up in the morning, try to do what you would normally do before they left for school. Eat breakfast, yell at them to get their shoes on, scramble for library books, you know, the norm. Actually, good news, everything after “eat breakfast” can be omitted. Then, set down to work. Include breaks for recess, and focus on getting it all done in the first few hours of the day. Depending on what they have to cover, decide which comes first, and stay as close as possible to their daily school schedule. The rest of your afternoon and evening will be so much more manageable and stress free.
Give them chores. I’ve never given my kids actual chores before, I normally just expect them to help out around the house. All bets are off when we will be occupying the same space for 14 days and not in a fun, vacation-y kind of way. Avoid frustration and yelling by setting expectations. They should make their beds and keep their rooms clean. In the common areas, they should pick up after themselves. I’m thinking about a different water glass for everyone, because my biggest challenge on the weekend is keeping up with the glasses left on every surface. If they know it is theirs they will reuse it.
Make time for specials. Do an online yoga or art class for gym. Do a DIY project for science. Play great songs and talk about them for music. Read a book together for library. Encourage your kids to help you pick out what activity you will do for the special.
Give everyone his or her own space in the house to get their work done. Set it up for them like a portable work station, and if possible, leave it set up for them for the duration. Make them responsible for the organization of their spot.
Focus on learning and education. No matter how hard we try, their actual learning will suffer. Watch documentaries everyone may find interesting. Do online music lessons. Give each person, including you, something short and easy to research and talk about at dinner. Expose them to a new language, a new culture and new theory … anything that will get their curiosity flowing.
Stick to the main meals. You are not a sous chef and you will quickly come to resent being the cafeteria lady if the cafeteria is always open. Avoid snacking and grazing. It will throw off their blood sugar, and create both fatigue and hyperactivity. We need these kids at their best, so we don’t end up giving them up for adoption or having a nervous breakdown.