For many modern-day parents, entertaining kids at home is not something we expect to do on a daily basis. Now, suddenly, parents are facing each day trying to find activities for their little ones to keep them entertained, educated and happy. So, where do we start?!

 

 

The first thing is … don’t panic! This is an unprecedented situation, but adults and children are amazingly adaptive and resourceful. Remember, you are not alone. If you feel overwhelmed by the task ahead, the points below will help you get a sense of perspective and feel less daunted.

 

Things to bear in mind:

 

• There are no rules

Don’t feel compelled to do what your neighbour or best friend does or give in to the advice of your mother, mother-in-law or anyone else; you know what is best for your family.

 

• A schedule is good

But, be adaptive and decide what works best for your family – what works for one does not necessarily work for another.

 

• Extra screen-time is ok

At this time, it is not the end of the world if the kids get a bit of extra screen time. It is more important that they feel settled, happy and safe whilst you adjust and work on a plan. For some, home schooling will take precedence in the family routine, for others it will be squeezed in where possible – don’t put too much pressure on yourself regarding home education, we are not all born teachers.

 

Planning is your greatest friend right now – get that Schedule started …

 

 

• Pick the best time for schoolwork

If there’s schoolwork, consider when they work best (morning or afternoon) and use that to frame the rest of the schedule, adding playtime or scheduled play time in between.

 

• Break the day up into chunks

Starting with mealtimes; breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack times (try not to let kids snack more than usual just because they are at home).

 

• Pick the best time for playtime

Once this is in place, you can then define the windows of playtime by breaking them up into arts and crafts, cooking, screen-time (social), family time and exercise time –get your kids involved in planning too.

 

• Keep them occupied

Bring them into the kitchen with you and get them to help you with planning meals. Let each kid pick out a dish to make. Try meal themes which appeal to kids such as ‘nacho day’ or ‘pancake day’.

 

• Think ahead

Select what craft activity, garden adventure or cooking session you can slot into the timetable for the following day. As long as you plan the following day the night before, you don’t need to plan the whole week in advance, just make sure the slots are on the schedule ready to fill and that’ll give you a good idea of what everyone wants to do.

 

• Let the kids help you plan

It’s a great idea to get your kids involved in the planning of activities and relaxing family times. From ages two onwards, your child may be keen to participate by providing some input. For example, they may want to make cup-cakes or watch their favourite movie. Settling on a plan the day before avoids arguments over which film or what activity on the day.

 

• You have the final say

Keep the most value-adding parts of the schedule in your control; whilst it is fine to allow some input at the beginning of mealtimes and time for schoolwork, you should have the final word. The kids can have more freedom on decisions around activities and downtime plans.

 

• Be flexible

Allow for flexibility; if you find that something isn’t working, change it; if you need to bring exercise time forward for some reason, do it; adaptability is key in unusual circumstances.

 

• The schedule is there to help

The purpose of the schedule is to keep you on track, provide security and structure to your children and to help keep focus for the day.

 

• Covid-19 Daily Schedule

Since the special measures taken in response to Covid-19 have resulted in families being restricted to their homes, this Covid-19 Daily Schedule quarantine home-school template has been doing the rounds and may be helpful; you can adapt it to the age of your children and schedule your own work and relaxation time in too.

 

 

Perfection is not realistic

Remember, don’t be disheartened if it feels chaotic at first; don’t be stressed or worry too much  if your initial schedule doesn’t seem to fit right for your family – you will get there and with tweaks and revision you will find a plan that works well for everyone. Perfection is not necessary; it is simply a guideline to help you function best.

 

Enjoy spending this quality time together, once it’s all over, we’ll look back and remember the irreplaceable memories made.