Nobody ever said home-schooling would be easy, but there’s no need to stress out about it!
HANDS up who ever flirted with the idea of being a teacher? Keep your hands up if you realised it really wasn’t for you. Me too. But yet here we all are, sitting at home, either trying to work while the rugrats are around our feet or trying to entertain them all day, every day.
There are no sports clubs, hobbies, no Beaver uniform to get ready, no swimming kit to pack before sitting in an overheated leisure centre for an hour watching them swim up... and down... and up... and down.
I promise I’ll never complain again.
For many people, knowing that some children are in school because their parents are vital to the smooth running of the country at this time is quite daunting.
Worried that their own children are at home is prompting them to feel like they might be missing out or falling behind – which is why social media has been an absolute avalanche of ideas how to home educate, with worksheets, hints and tips for useful websites and even live YouTube sessions to keep their education up to speed.
But slow down a minute. Take a breather. You really don’t have to do this, as one teacher explains.
Suzanne James, has 20 years’ experience as a teacher in a primary school and wants to get the message across that this is an unprecedented time so there are no rules, no should-dos and shouldnots.
“If you’re working from home, it’s almost impossible to provide a full timetable of lessons for them,” she said. “You shouldn’t think you have to. That goes for parents who aren’t working, too.
“You didn’t go to university for four years to train how to teach, so don’t try to force yourself to become your children’s teacher.
“We wouldn’t expect you to know what to do if a member of your family was ill, so why expect yourself to be able to teach them?”
She pointed out that during the Second World War, many children were at home and they were not home-schooled.
“Instead they were expected to chip in with the chores and generally help out,” she said.
“Those people are now our parents and grandparents – and they haven’t turned out too badly, have they?”
Suzanne, who has her two children at home with her, is also keen to promote the fact that our mental health is vitally important.
“We’re all anxious, we’re all worried and we have to be kind to ourselves,” she said.
“A few weeks ago, the internet was full of #BeKind, so it’s time we took that on board.
“Be kind to yourself and your kids, don’t put yourself or them under pressure at this time.
“The sun is currently shining for the first time this year so let them get out in the garden, bounce on the trampoline, play on their bikes and enjoy themselves.
“You could also let them do something creative – paint, draw, teach them to sew on a button, fix a puncture on their bikes, general life skills.
“But if you really want to do something with them, make it reading. Read, read, read.
“Read to them, with them and listen to them read.
“Remember, this is their home, their place to be loved and feel safe, not a school with timetables and restrictions.
“Look after yourself at this time and make a few memories. It will pass and they will soon get back into learning when they are back at school.”