How is everyone holding up?!
I can definitely say that I’ve never related more to Mr. Incredible- “Why did they change math?! Math is Math!” I worked in the school system and I am on the struggle bus. Cruiz is such a trooper.
With that said, we are in crazy homeschool mode over here 9:00 am-1:00 pm most days! Of all the things I have gained from this quarantine crazy, one, in particular, is that our children’s teachers deserve way way WAY more credit than they are already getting. They are rock stars. I am NOT cut out to be a teacher! I tried it, TWICE.
I have, however, learned a few tips and tricks that helped us out this past month as we transitioned into full-time school. First and foremost was making sure that Cruiz knew I understood how he was feeling. There are many distractions around the house, a little brother that wants to do everything he does, and the mindset is different than what it would be in an actual school setting. We had a long bedtime discussion somewhere along the lines of “You wouldn’t yell at your teacher if she didn’t give you the answer to a question” and although I understood what he was feeling, he needed to treat this time like “school and teacher” not “mom and vacation”. The most helpful and encouraging thing I have learned is actually something I read on Instagram of all places- it basically discusses how kids rely on structure. They need structure to thrive and be successful. Everything they know has been turned upside down. As parents we tell them they have to go to school, they should play outside more, and make new friends. School is now inside, they can’t go to their favorite places and friends are a no-no for a while. This is traumatic for them. I’ve learned to be lenient, supportive, and not demanding. If they need to sleep in, let them- their assignments aren’t going anywhere.
We actually started out doing “School” at our dining room table- that didn’t go so well for student OR teacher. So we brought in an old 
desk Cruiz had at our apartment, repainted it with chalkboard paint, and voila! Special Study Space! This has helped Rooney get into his “I’m at school” mindset.
If you also have preschool-aged children like Dash who has an older brother to mimic, we went out and bought coloring books, dry-erase books, puzzles, and flashcards so he could be in on the fun. It may be short-lived but at least it will give you a chance to drink your coffee hot in the morning vs cold microwaved twice coffee in the afternoon! Target dollar spot is stocked with homeschool activities for littles right now! Grab your mask and go get some!
Other websites and resources we are loving listed below!
Explore Learning has both free learning computer games as well as printable worksheets, you also have the option for a 60-day free trial and full access to the library which includes math games such as Reflex and Gizmo.
One of Rooney’s favorite school activities is Typetastic which offers fun typing and spelling games. He enjoys it so much that I actually use this as more of an incentive to get work done rather than a stand-alone assignment.
Math Game Time has fun math assignments for every age- another resource I use more as an incentive to finish the not-so-fun stuff first. Click the age range you’re looking for and play. They change the assignments daily.
Last but not least is My favorite tool Epic! All of the books that we read in school are on this website- there is a free 30-day trial and then after that, it’s only $7.99/month! There are audiobooks, games, quizzes, and videos- this is by far my favorite resource. It has everything, it’s entertaining, and it doesn’t feel like school. Mom win!
We’re all just taking it one day at a time, growing up together, and hopefully inspiring people along the way.
