Celeb guest: Nicola McLean
The schools are closed and we’re all on lockdown – which means millions of parents have been left to educate and entertain their kids. And while I’m not enjoying this worrying time of change and upheaval, I have to admit I love the home-schooling aspect. I actually always wanted to give home-schooling a try, but my husband [footballer Tom Williams] wasn’t keen. My eldest [Rocky, 14] logs on for lessons provided by his school online, but my youngest [Striker, 11] doesn’t, so now is a great chance to give it a go. My other mum friends think I’m nuts, but so far I’m really enjoying it.
I’ve found it’s important to keep a routine – I roughly stick to the normal school timings with my boys, having a break time and a lunch time. With the lessons, I’ve really listened to Striker and adapted to how he wants to learn. Learning doesn’t have to just mean reading a book or filling out sheets – we’ve done board games and watched videos to help him. The boys have also been doing Joe Wicks’ PE lessons – Joe is running live PE classes on YouTube for all the kids to do along with him, and I think they’re brilliant.
Overall, my view is that it’s important to ensure homeschooling isn’t creating extra stress in your home. I think a happy household is much more important than making sure your kids are learning – and kids will only really learn if they feel happy and safe anyway. If you find yourself struggling or stressing, then pull back and think of how you can do things differently. If teaching school subjects isn’t working, then try teaching them practical things like cooking, or gardening. Don’t beat yourself up about anything – we all need to remain positive and strong during this time, so do what works for you.