Aria was the first one to say it - this feels like homeschooling! In The Netherlands schools are closed for at least three weeks. Dutch children are attending online classes and receiving school assignments via email or class portals, all of which parents are supposed to facilitate.

For most parents, this is way harder than summer vacation. This is homeschooling.

Across the world parents are suddenly finding themselves crisis homeschoolers due to Coronavirus protocols. With no preparation, no research, no support groups or choice in the matter. No surprise that it’s been a tough transition.

This week I have been sewing my confetti scrap quilt. I’m turning triangle scraps into squares and rectangles. I’m straightening out the edges of my tiniest crumb scraps with my little helper. And slowly, I’m merging them into improv-pieced 8.5” blocks that fill up my design wall and make me grin from ear to ear.

Homeschooling is no shock to us. It’s a familiar rhythm. But I’m hearing from friends in the United States, in France, in Australia and in my own Dutch neighborhood, that this week has been tough. In case it helps, I’d like to share a confetti of basic homeschooling tips. These are the things you learn quickly on the job.

Pick a Time

Your kids are used to plenty of structure surrounding their school day. When is your child generally at his or her best? For most kids, that’s the morning, which makes the early part of the day the ideal time for school to happen. Choose an official school-starting time and tell your children. Tell them that they should report to the table at that time on Monday morning. Being official about it can really help set the tone. Plus, it will keep you from letting the day gradually slip away.

Prep the Night Before

When morning comes and your sweet kiddos are sitting at the table ready to work, you don’t want anything to break the magic of that moment. This is not the time to realize that you don’t have the worksheets printed out or the proper login to access to their online lesson. After putting the kids to bed, look over the next day’s assignments and make a list of what each child must accomplish. Make sure you have supplies and access.

Are your child’s assignments coming in randomly throughout the day? If possible, let them accumulate until evening prep. Organize whatever assignments have arrived for the next day so that you can proceed with school in a less fractured manner each morning.

Hardest Thing First

Usually it’s best to start with your child’s most challenging subject. He or she will feel fresh emotionally and mentally, plus you’ll have the feeling that there is plenty of time to do it right. If it’s not practical to start with your child’s hardest task for the day, save that task for after a good break.

Take Breaks

Speaking of breaks, take them! It boosts everyone’s attitude to get some fresh air. Insist that everyone go outside, if at all possible, even if just for 15 minutes. Active breaks are especially crucial for younger children. If you must stay indoors, can you come up with some silly obstacle games, dance to music or even play hide and seek? Whatever it takes to get them moving and lift the mood. Expect to take a break for each hour of work. Don’t forget healthy snacks too!

Adjust

One of the best things about independent homeschooling is the opportunity to make adjustments to suit your individual child. But this is not just an advantage academically, it’s a sanity-saver. You are only one person and may have lots of responsibilities during this unusual time. Make intelligent adjustments to the assignments as necessary to keep things moving along.

For example, your child is assigned 30 nearly-identical math problems. You can see that your child fully grasps the concept, and you know she is doing well in math in general. However, she has a challenging writing assignment on the list. Tell her to do all the even math questions, but skip the odd ones, to give her (and you) more energy to focus on the writing.

Or, perhaps your child’s assignment makes no sense to you. Neither you nor your child understand the directions and you can’t reach the teacher to clarify. Rather than delaying the assignment (making more work for another day), can you make choices of your own to give the assignment clarity? If your child is working on the essential concepts, even with a slight twist from what was intended, this is progress.

Definitely communicate any adjustments to the teacher. Write a brief and respectful note about your rationale. You’ll find out quickly if the teacher appreciates you taking the initiative. I expect that in these difficult times, teachers would be glad to collaborate in this way.

Teach Them Life Skills

Learning happens all the time, not just at the table. This is an opportunity to teach your child certain life skills that probably aren’t on the menu at school. Get them involved with cleaning, cooking, creating, budgeting, gardening, really anything that needs to be done or you would like to be doing. Slow down and talk about the process. Their questions are gold.

Older children should also be given the chance take responsibility for their own school tasks. Making to do lists, prioritizing, thinking about the best order of action and remembering to take breaks - these are key life skills that require practice. What better chance to give it to them? Walk them through the process a few times and then let them try. The stakes are low since you know this is temporary. Your son or daughter just may surprise you!

Your first week homeschooling might have been a bit of a disaster, but next week is a fresh start. Take some time to process these basic tips and jot down a simple new plan for next week.

Also, be gentle with yourself and your kids. You didn’t ask for this roll and you had no time to prepare. The most important thing is to be there for your kids, patient and loving and “in this together”, as my dad always says.

Because one thing is for sure - we are all in this together.

Love,

Rachel