To homeschool or not…
Many schools across the nation have now closed indefinitely to prevent the spread of Covid-19. I’m hearing a lot of discussion around what to do with kids at home due to the school closures. There are many forwards, blogs and posts being sent with resources to help parents homeschool. There are also forwards encouraging the opposite… that you should avoid homeschooling to avoid adding stress. So what do we do?
The answer is..there’s no one size fits all. Just like parenting is different for every family, this unique situation will affect all of us in different ways. We all have different capacities to handle stress and anxiety, so recognizing your triggers and your capacity is key.
For homeschoolers
Some families thrive in structure and routine, and actually see a spike in depression and anxiety without structure. If you choose to homeschool, remember
- Be FLEXIBLE
- Be REALISTIC
- Get SUPPORT
If homeschooling is your jam, don’t do it alone. There are so many resources out there to support you. And as the weeks progress you may find that you need to change your schedule, so be flexible and realistic. Also, a scheduled day doesn’t have to be worksheets and textbooks. Math can be measuring out ingredients for dinner, science can be mixing coloured water to make snow cones. There are many ways to do this.
So if you choose to homeschool, great! Do what works for you.
For those who choose not to homeschool
If the idea of a schedule is anxiety provoking for you, then just take this time to do what makes you and your kiddos happy. If that means lots of independent reading time, or screen time, or outdoor play time, or any unstructured activity, do what keeps your stress levels in check.
Many are taking this time to just reconnect with one another and spend much needed quality time together. Learning new subjects and keeping up with curriculums is not a priority for many.
So if you choose not to homeschool, great! Do what works for you.
For everyone in between, you might be choosing to do a bit of both. Some scheduled activities , and some unstructured time.
So if you choose this option, great! Do what works for you.
Whatever your family chooses, I wish you health and mental wellness while you do it. Let me know what’s working for your family.
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