School Is Out! Here Are The Best Tips For Parents
The kids are home from school…and we don’t know for how long. Find out how to stay on top of it all so you can stay sane while school is out!
School is out!
But this time it’s a little different. And there wasn’t much time to prepare.
So what are we to do? Not only do we have the responsibility of educating our kids for the next few weeks (which slightly terrifies me), but we also have to keep the whole family from going absolutely crazy!
Because we’re social distancing, right?
That means no school, no sports, no museums, no libraries, no trampoline parks, no church…and the list goes on.
But believe it or not, this doesn’t have to be a terrible experience. After all, with the whole world at a standstill, we don’t have to worry about getting to places on time and keeping up with all the activities around us.
We can focus 100% on our family. And we can slow down.
What a blessing.
But don’t worry, I’m not naive. This isn’t going to be rainbows and butterflies. In fact, the whole family stuck at home with nowhere to go for weeks on end…that’s a recipe for disaster.
Unless we’ve got a toolbelt of tips to keep us sane.
As moms, we’ve been Google-ing and Pinterest-ing everything we can think of to survive the next few weeks. Everything from educational activities and crafts to how much caffeine a person can consume in a day.
Well, here are a few tips just for YOU. Tips that will help you stress less as you navigate life in this uncharted territory.
They will help the days run a little smoother so that the whole family can thrive – not just survive – during this time.
TIPS FOR PARENTS WHILE SCHOOL IS OUT
Here are 8 tips that will help you stay sane during the next few weeks:
1. ESTABLISH ROUTINES
It doesn’t matter if you’re a routine guru or not. Routines are an absolute must-have right now. They’ll keep the days from dragging and the kids from fighting (mostly).
And they’ll provide the structure you and your family need while school is out and activities are canceled.
But even the best routines can fail if they’re too complicated. I’m a firm believer that the secret to creating sustainable routines is to keep them simple.
Which is why I love block scheduling. Try creating a daily plan with this daily routine template. It’ll help you find a way to fit everything in – including fun time. And it’s flexible enough to allow for…well, life!
(Learn all about creating a daily routine for your kids here so you can implement it for your family while school is out.)
And to make sure the day gets off to a good start, try this simple morning routine for kids. It’ll get everyone out of their jammies and set the stage for a productive day.
Want to see our exact routine? Click here to see our daily schedule while school is canceled.
2. DO SCHOOL WORK IN THE MORNING
When everyone’s ready to start the day, try to do activities that require the most thinking in the morning. That way they’re done and out of the way.
For us, we’ll be doing everything school-related before lunch. After that, we can do technology time, outside time, free time and whatever else we want. I don’t want to be overly rigid.
Bonus Tip: Do you have little ones that aren’t in school yet? Try putting them in Independent Playtime for a little bit so you can focus on schoolwork with your other kids! Not sure how to make that work? Read all about Independent Playtime here.
3. MAKE YOUR KIDS DO CHORES
Your kids have a lot more time on their hands, so why not use this time to teach them some chores?
You don’t have to be a slave-driver here. But they can help out with some things like cleaning their rooms, cleaning the bathrooms, or helping out in other areas of the house.
Also, by using this time to get back into the habit of chores (or start the habit!), they’ll be equipped with some great skills by the time life goes back to normal!
READ NEXT: Chore Sticks For Kids: The Easy-To-Make Chore System That Works
4. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF TECHNOLOGY
I’m not one to limit screen time heavily, and I plan on keeping it that way while school is out (within reason, of course).
In fact, there are some incredible opportunities going on right now for kids who are home from school. Libraries are offering virtual storytimes, museums and zoos are offering virtual tours, and YouTube is buzzing with art, crafts, activities and educational fun.
So see what you can find and let your kids enjoy it! After all, that might be the only time you can get some things done!
Bonus Tip: For younger kids, you can recreate library storytimes at home! Read a favorite book or two and sing some of the simple and fun songs in this free eBook!
5. KEEP A REGULAR BEDTIME
As tempting as it is to let everyone stay up late, don’t give in. At least not every night.
It’s going to be hard to keep up a productive routine if everyone is grumpy and tired. So get those kids to bed on time!
Because YOU are going to need a break!
You’re going to be on supermom-mode all day every day for the next who-knows-how-long. So you’d better believe you’re going to deserve some downtime each night…kid-free. (There-are-a-lot-of-hyphens-in-this-paragraph! Are we sure I’m fit to be educating my kids for the next few weeks??)
Bonus Tip: Try this night routine. It’s a simple and effective way for you to wind down and gear up for a strong tomorrow!
6. FIT IN SOME YOU TIME
Speaking of needing a break, try and find some time for yourself. Even if it’s just 15 minutes. Stare at your phone, take a long shower, fit in a quick workout or read something you love.
It’s too easy to neglect yourself when you’re busy taking care of everyone else. But your battery needs to be filled too or you’ll find yourself in a funk.
Need ideas on finding time for yourself?
- Try waking up before your kids so you can have time for a simple morning routine.
- Squeeze in some time while the kids are having quiet time, nap time, or technology time.
- Work it into your evening routine.
7. MIX THINGS UP AT PLAYTIME
One of the best ways to foster creativity in our kids is to put limits on what they can do. We can choose an activity (like coloring), a location (like playing in a different room than usual), or even which toys they can use. It’s amazing to see how creative they can be!
I don’t do this every day. But I’ll do it every once and a while, especially when I notice my kids playing messier than usual or even fighting. It works like a charm.
READ NEXT: How To Create The Perfect Daily Routine For Your Kids
8. CLEAN UP AT THE END OF EACH DAY
You might be totally spent at the end of each day, but try to fit in a little cleaning. Nothing major. Just a quick pick up so the floors, surfaces and kitchen sink are clear.
And make your kids help! After all, they’re home all day contributing to the mess, right?
Have them pick up toys, clothes and even help in the kitchen. It’ll help keep chaos at bay, reinforce their cleaning skills, and make it so that your family can start each day with a fresh start.
READ NEXT: 30 Quick And Easy 15-Minute Cleaning Tasks
A FEW BONUS TIPS TO PASS THE TIME WHILE SCHOOL IS OUT
The 8 tips above will help keep your stress levels to a minimum over the next few weeks. But like I said earlier, this is uncharted territory. So since we need all the help we can get, here are a few bonus tips to help it be even more fun for your kids:
Go outside every day that you can. If you’re lucky enough to have good weather right now, take advantage of it and get the family outside. Even if it’s just for a little bit!
Play some family games. Check out this awesome list of family games from Chris Loves Julia. We own most of them and love playing them together!
FaceTime family and friends. Social distancing can be hard. So take advantage of FaceTime (and similar apps) when you can so your kids can still have fun with other people.
Set up a neighborhood scavenger hunt. Get everyone in on it that you can. Hang pictures or symbols in windows, on trees, or on playground equipment. The neighborhood kids will have fun finding everything!
Leave notes with sidewalk chalk. If it’s a nice day for a walk, bring some sidewalk chalk! Leave a message on the driveway of neighbors and friends.
Start holding family meetings. Finding time for a weekly family meeting isn’t easy with a busy schedule. But right now, we all have a lot of time… Learn more about family meetings and how they can help your family here!
Mix it up at lunchtime. Making lunch for everyone every day isn’t always my favorite thing to do. That’s why I love simple lunch ideas that even my pickiest eaters will like! Head here for 15 easy lunches that are sure to please.
READ NEXT: Indoor Bucket List: 20 Super-Simple Activities To Try At Home
SCHOOL IS OUT…AND IT’S GOING TO BE OKAY
Having our kids home from school – for who knows how long – can be scary and stressful. We want them to get a good education and have plenty of opportunities to interact with the world. And this situation kind of puts a damper on that.
But remember, this is a temporary adjustment. It’s not going to last forever.
How many times do we say to ourselves, I wish we had more time together? We’re so busy but we don’t know how to slow down?
Well, now’s our chance! We can tune out the rest of the world and focus more on coming together as a family.
So don’t be tempted to compare what you’re doing to any other family.
There will be those who create a Pinterest-worthy impromptu homeschool room. And there will be those who schedule every hour of every day with the most stimulating of activities. And there will be those that wear holes in their pajamas and watch every single thing on Disney+.
In the end, it doesn’t matter what you do as long as it’s what you really want to be doing with your time and with your family.
You may never get an opportunity quite like this again.
So what will you do with it?
Good luck! You’ve got this. We’re all in this together, and our families will be stronger because of it.
What will your family be doing while school is out? Share in the comments so we can all get more ideas! We’ll need them!
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