For many of us, we are living in uncharted waters. We have never lived through so much chaos and confusion.
As schools & businesses continue to close, and we are left wondering what tomorrow will bring.
In the meantime
Turn off the TV & Social Media- I promise you do not need to know what is happening every minute. Stay up to date and be aware, but don’t let fear consume you.
When this week started I had a plan. (I know BIG surprise, right) I can honestly tell you that less than half the things I planned out, we have done.
I was going to keep my kids on their regular schedule as much as possible. We were going to eat at certain times. Electronics were to be limited to their normal routine.
Umm yeah, that didn't even make it to Monday morning. For instance, my kids slept until 9 am. Three hours past their normal wake up time. They didn't even stay up late the night before. They were dragging the whole day. They were grumpy most fo the day. It was hard to get them to do much of anything. I am not even positive all my kids made it out of their PJ's that day. And I am OK with that. Later that evening it occurred to me that was their way of processing the stress & anxiety of this situation.
So as we continue on in the days ahead, and people are posting ALL these free educational sites/tools available. DO NOT GET LOST in the process of trying to do ALL the things. Stay in your lane. Focus on what you can do for your kids. Don’t worry about what everyone else “school day” looked like.
Teacher friends, STOP reading from here on out.
There are some great tools available right now for FREE. But parents, please be cautious about how you handle this. We do not have to enroll our kids in every program. Active play or creative time is just as important. It also allows some of the built-up tension a way to escape.
Yes keeping our kids active in some sort of education is necessary. Take this time to work on the thing your kid(s) need help with. (reading, math) Or better yet, let them pick something to study/work on that interests them. I am a firm believer that if you let them pick their passion it will lead back to academics in some fashion. Kids just need to see how their passion relates to schoolwork.
Please do not overload your kids with schoolwork and enrolling them in all the programs. They are just as stressed and anxious about this situation as we are. Instead...
Spend some time with your kids. They may not be voicing their fears but they see & hear how everyone is reacting. Let them express their concerns and try to comfort them when possible. I don't think I have ever used the words... I don't know, as much as I have this past week.
Today, we are putting down the books, and picking up the crayons, markers, colored pencils and paint. Maybe even some glitter.
What outlet works well for your child?
If you have read any of my other posts you know I love to add a song at the end. Sometimes it is a song that inspired me and other times the song explains something I am trying to convey.
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