Parents feel free to celebrate ten days in confinement and pat yourselves on the back. You are amazing as are your kids, as their stress and boredom is as real as yours. With that celebration, the end is not in sight. While some of you are getting used to the rhythm and may even enjoy the simplicity and flexibility that home-school can bring, most of you are wondering what is next or ways you can better service your kids. As a teacher I am wondering, waiting, and long to be of better service to my students. Currently our district is only doing packets while other avenues are explored. I am frustrated. So I turned to the masses or honestly the few that read and find that if nothing else we are all in this together and while my words may change depending on the crisis of the educational moment, my blog and its focus has finally found a purpose which is to continue to serve and be a constant voice for kids.

Onward…Next week will be a challenge as the newness has worn off unless you have in your home kids that love confinement and you giving them their math lessons. Yes, that’s what I thought. So, now what. Change up the routine and change it up fast. Here are some ideas.

1. Let your child re-design their work space.
2. Let your child take more breaks. Walk, Art, Video, Snack, Creating cards for the elderly or medical professionals.
3. Change the time of their studies go from AM to PM or vice versa.
4. Let them play dress up and be in character while they attack their studies.
5. Bribe any students in the middle-school years. Oh, you have. Double it.
6. Give praise.
7. Skip a day or two.
8. Allow your child to plan a menu, take your order, set the table, and create the snack or meal.
9. Watch an educational video.
10. Let them learn a new skill. Whatever your child wants to learn, find information and let them get a taste of it.
11. Go outside with their material and “camp.”
12. Find a virtual tutor, if you are at wits end. Find one, it will save your relationship.
13. By a recorder (horrific instrument) and play. Sorry it sounds horrible but it is fun and teaches the basics of musical notes. Go to Amazon. They are plastic. Enough said.
14. Let your kids wear their swimming masks and flippers while they do their work, and then go swimming. This also, fits under the bribe category.
15. Create a work wall to hang their best work of the week. Let kids choose and create.
16. Create Salt Art and have a gallery walk around your house with your child as the docent.
17. Virtual Field-Trips
18. Let them re-design their rooms. This will take some patience, a little bit of cash, and perhaps a coat or two of paint. This is similar to number one but on a larger scale and giving your child in these uncertain times a new place that defines their personalities.
19. Give praise.
20. Drink, eat, workout…whatever your vice is that gets you through this time. Do it. Into macrame, go for it as you are setting time for yourself and that is important. If anyone still does macrame, I would like a picture. Just saying.

Many of the above, you have done. I know. Again, this blog is for the masses or the four or five that follow, and maybe they have not been treated to a meal created by your eleven year old.

So how do I end something that seemingly has no end. With links. hopefully helpful links to get creative in anyway that would work for your child and revamp your weekend or upcoming week.

Links:

Modern/Hip Hop Dance: www.steezy.com

Dance for Preschoolers: http://www.danceparent101

Ballet: http://www.balletcoach.com

Plethora or Stuff: http://www.diy.org

Paint online:http://www.kidmons.com

Piano: http://www.hoffmanacademy.com

Salt Art: http://www.artfulparent.com

Virtual Field-Trips: http://www.virtualfieldtrips.org

Educational Free Stuff: http://www.pbs.org