For Parents Facing the Prospect of School Closures
We live very close to a primary school in Edinburgh, and so every morning, I wake up to the lovely sound of little children and their parents making their way through the playground in time for the first bell. As this Corona crisis continues to unfold, there’s been increasing talk of school closures here in the UK. Maybe they have already closed in your part of the world. And so now, when the sounds of laughter and song and play and excitement file past my bedroom window, a flurry of lunchbox and blazer, I lie in my bed and watch the light filter in through the gap between my curtains and wonder how long these kids will stay in school, and when the closures will come into effect.
For me, this is more of an academic question, as my children are all grown. My worries aren’t so much about how we’ll manage child-care or how to home-school, so much as what will happen if my kids lose their jobs, how will they pay their rent and what happens with the university sector. But, I found myself earlier today – now up, dressed, breakfasted, errands run, laundry sorted – with my hands in the sink washing up the first batch of the day’s dirty dishes, while looking out at the kids playing the playground. And I was thinking that, while I don’t have the answers to my own worries, I might have some answers for parents facing the prospect of educating their kids at home, when the playground is empty and silent and the homes are full of kids seeking focus and fun.
You see, we decided when my eldest child was just 2yrs old that we would home educate. We chose to do so for educational purposes, rather than religious or social, and we proceeded to educate our 3 kids from home all the way through until they were each 16yrs old. At this point, they went into further education, higher education, and employment. During our home-ed journey we engaged in lots of activities outside of the home, the kids were all involved in a variety of groups, team sports and classes, and we brought in tutors for music lessons, but, alongside that, we spent a lot of time in each other’s company at home. The onus of their educational progress fell on our shoulders, and some days that felt light as a feather, and other days it could flatten you with the weight.
But, we muddled through, we did our best, we gave them the loveliest childhood we could, and we allowed them to follow their curiosity and to make their own educational choices. This means that we did not ‘home-school’ – we ‘home-educated’. We followed an approach called ‘autonomous education’ which was child-led and required us to facilitate their educational experience rather than dictate the direction or the form. Our days did not resemble school days. Our home looked nothing like a classroom.
Ok, so why am I telling you all of this? Well, it occurred to me that I know a lot of ways to keep kids occupied and how to provide an educational experience outside of a school setting. Just in case you find yourself in a similar situation due to the social distancing measures being introduced in various countries, then maybe this list will offer you some inspiration and/or reassurance…
* Choose a family project – the North Pole, the Tudors, Fairy Tales etc. – and find activities and media to support the project theme. Watch an BBC wildlife doc, decorate a Tudor Rose, write your own adventure story… Google is your friend here. So many resources out there and project ideas to explore. Invite your kids to help choose the theme!
* Storytime – picture books for wee ones, and chapter books for your older kids. Start on a series, settle in for the long haul, and share in the tale together. Anne of Green Gables, The Chrestomanci Series, The Lord of the Rings… Invest in your storytelling, do voices, bring suspense, try comic timing. So much more engaging than reading in a monotone.
* Youtube Tutorials – there are so many different platforms offering classes, but some of them are pretty pricey. Whereas, YouTube has a wealth of video tutorials and it’s all for free! Especially good for older children. Make sure you have Restricted Mode activated to filter out (most) mature video content.
*Board/Card Games – a great source of entertainment and of learning. Taking turns, counting, reading, spotting patterns, sequential numbers, decision making and more.
* Household Chores – ok, so probably not going to be the most popular option on this list, but tending to all things domestic is an incredibly important life-skill to have. Cooking a meal together, figuring out a shopping list, knowing how to read an electricity bill, diy fixes, furniture assembling, clothes mending etc. Practical things that they’ll be grateful for when they move out on their own for the first time!
* Grow something – cress on cottonwool, a broad bean in a jam jar, an avocado stone, some herbs to try out in the kitchen. Has there ever been a better time to start a wee veggie plot?
* Learn a new language – duolingo, YouTube videos, movies/tv shows with english subtitles… there are so many resources for broadening a vocabulary and stringing sentences together. And something fun to learn en famille.
* Outdoor exercise – obviously, if you’re having to quarantine, then you need to follow the guidance. But if you can, get out into the garden. Or if you live near green space where you won’t be near other people, get out for a walk, a run, kick a ball, fly a kite, jump some waves, walk the dog. Kids need to run off their energy – and often, in my experience!
* Sleep – kids are often chronically tired. Their bodies are growing. They’re over-stimulated by screens. And school starts a lot earlier than suits the majority. If your kids are sleeping a lot, maybe that’s because they’re needing to top up their dreamtime. And perhaps that’s no bad thing. They’re not being lazy. They’re exhausted. And sleep can bolster your immune system.
*Repetition – we often learn by doing/watching the same thing over and over. One of the great things about home ed is that your kids can repeat something as often as they want/need to until they get it, or until they’re bored, or until they find that next thing that they want to do again and again. My kids had favourite activities – lego building, beading, etc. And they had favourite stories they would return to frequently – I’m not sure how many times our Spirit – Stallion of the Cimarron dvd was played, but it was a lot!! Or how many batches of fudge or crepes my middle son made – more than we could eat!! Or how many hours my daughter would practice her violin. Or how often my youngest son would play historical strategy games. Trust me, when they’re done, they’ll let you know!
* Routine – your daily structure does not need to look like the school day. Why would it? But it is important to have some kind of routine in place as it can be comforting and reassuring, and not just for the kids! Mealtimes, bath times, outdoor play, story time – the warp of your day, while all the other activities can be the weft.
* Arts & Crafts – it’s easy to pull together a wee crafting station full of sellotape, empty egg cartons, yarn, crayons, stickers etc. We used to have an Ikea unit with plastic trays full of materials that could be used for any number of creations. Especially handy when used in partnership with the family project!
* Imaginative Play – a dressing up box is another essential! Veils and scarves and fabric pieces are great for creating whole landscapes across the floor where toy figures can adventure, cars can race, dinosaurs can roam. A collection of hats, masks, face-paints (safely stored!) can really support play and imagination so have a store of those too if you can.
* Teaching – we often learn best through the act of teaching itself. Inviting a child to teach – either you or your other children – will solidify knowledge for them and also introduces new concepts, methods, knowledge etc to others.
* Trust – your children are innately curious, and they will find their way to what lights them up if you let them. Support their instincts, create opportunities, and be invitational in your facilitation of their learning.
Lastly, enjoy this time with your kids as much as you can. It is such a blessing and a privilege to get to know these wee people, and to witness them become big people! I do not regret for one moment our decision to educate our kids at home. It wasn’t always easy, but it was often fun. At a time when fun may be somewhat thin on the ground, may this post inspire you and your kids to find it where you can.
