As the kids went back to school and we smiled thinking “thank god we don’t have to do that again”, we find ourselves here, doing this again!
We all know it’s tough having the children at home again, everyone in the house battling for some quiet space, swapping the teacher hat, for the work hat and chef hat, whilst juggling work and the usual household tasks! It was never going to be easy, so go easy on yourself.
Here are some of our top tips to help you through the next few weeks.
It’s ok to enjoy a large gin on a Monday
We all start the week with good intentions, but maybe this week didn’t start right. Some Mondays, everything goes wrong before 9am – you run out of milk, realise the kids lessons start with French followed by Maths, have a team resignation to deal with and three back to back zooms. Give yourself a break, and pour a large gin once the day draws to a close.
Take a break
It’s ok to feel like it’s all getting too much and everyone deserves a break. Take a long walk, spend a couple of hours watching rubbish TV, or have a soak in the bath. Take time out for yourself, and when you can, spend a few hours on your own.
Take the easy option for dinner
After a hard day, you might not want to face cooking a meal from scratch. Always make sure there’s a back up pizza in the freezer, or a pasta sauce in the cupboard. It’s ok to not want to cook a proper supper tonight.
Swap roles
One of the best ways to learn, is to teach to someone else. Why not let your child be the teacher. Let them ask you the spellings, or let them host the PE class instead of Joe Wicks for a change.
Share your skills
You might not be the best Maths or Science teacher, but perhaps you’re great at baking, painting, or designing a great PowerPoint. Ask your kids to help with dinner – making sushi is lots of fun, or maybe they need to learn some household tasks, or set up a tuck shop and help them with money. Think outside the box, and help with life skills.
Call in a supply teacher
Whilst we might not be able to meet in person, the new virtual world means we can video call friends and family who could help with some of the learning. Maybe it’s a friend who’s great at English, or your parents to help in History – ask others to help to break up the week.
Control screen time
With most children self-learning, you’ll find they’re spending more time on laptops, ipads and phones. It’s important all the family spend time away from screens time to time – why not pick up your favourite book, dig out a colouring book or learn a new game of cards.