WENDY’S ACADEMY FOR ANNOYING CHILDREN

Those of you self-isolating with teenagers probably won’t be able to tell the difference, but for other parents, this home-schooling thing is exhausting.

My mum friend, Wendy Osborne, who makes Mary Poppins look like an under-achiever, has sent me her home-school timetable tips:

Start with exercise, such as the Joe Wicks Youtube class at 9am, and then have two 30-45min lessons. Break time at 10:30am with a drink and a snack.

Next two lessons and then an hour for lunch where the kids can do what they want (paint, play outside, gaming, TV). Follow this with two more lessons, and then some exercise time outside all together as a family. Go for walk, go cycling, jog etc. Once back from your walk, it's quiet reading time for all the family. Let your children see you enjoying a good book too. Then last lesson of the day and finish off with a Thought for the Day. This can be as simple as writing down one thing that your children liked doing/learnt that day, or for older ones, a short diary entry of their day. Then the evening time is free for them to do whatever they want.

Build in some unusual lessons in your timetable, not just the things the kids have to learn for school –puzzle books or crosswords, yoga, mindfulness, family board games, calligraphy. Or learn a new skill – juggling, origami, keepy-uppies, touch typing, art/painting/sculpture, baking, movie/ cartoons, listen to a Podcast, gardening, household chores. Spice things up a bit. Don’t do all of the lessons from the desk or kitchen table. When it is time to read, take the book outside and sit on the trampoline.

When it is time to do art, sit at the window or your bed. Make the most of all of the space.

Consider running this timetable as a six-day week. Now we’re all stuck in the same four walls at the weekend, a structured approach will really help. There are lots of free resources online to help fill your day:

An art drawing class with children’s illustrator Rob Biddulph on Youtube. Ted Ed talks have been specially curated for children. Start your day with a new one at ed.ted.com. Classic FM’S Marvellous Music Podcast for children narrated by David Walliams.

BBC Teach on Youtube has lots of educational videos.

Happy birthday today to Trevor Young, who’s 72 – well young, I guess. He’s got a cupcake party for one planned in Wilton, Wilts, and writes to say he will be dressing for the occasion. Birthday boy Trevor writes, “I had a fun T-shirt idea and my friend Jane, who owns Print Image in Marlborough, made it for me.” Great idea, Trev, might order one myself. Does it come in comforteater’s size?