Here We Go Again: Coping With Delayed Back-to-School Dates

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Events are getting canceled, compounds are subjected to temporary lockdowns, and school start dates are being delayed once again. Everyone stay calm, we’ve been on this ride before. Yes, the kids will need to be home for a little while but this time we have a road map. Below are our best tips and tricks for making this round of Covid-closures as calm and productive as possible.

They need a schedule: It can be as loose or as strict as you are comfortable with but some form of scaffolding for the day is vitally important. Not only will it make this time at home better, but it will also help with the transition back to a structured classroom. So set an alarm and come up with a routine that works for you and your family.

They need to move: Especially our littlest learners. Channeling some of that excess energy is important for staving off cabin fever. If you can, go out for a bike ride or long walk each day. If the weather is bad try playing the workout card game: Take a deck of cards and have the kids assign each suit a physical activity (i.e. hearts are jumping jacks, spades are push-ups, diamonds are sit-ups, clubs are mummy kicks). Then take turns flipping over a card. A five of diamonds means five sit-ups. Court cards are 30 seconds of dancing to their favorite tunes.

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Learn something new together: Pick an activity no one in the family knows anything about and learn it together. Have you always wanted to cook Paella or make origami creations? Now’s a good time to try! I recently wrote an article about how Mahjong enriches my China experience and it’s a great method for kids to learn their Chinese numbers in a fun way.

Focus on life skills: Most families here have an ayi but there is a good chance your kids won’t be taking her to college. So simple things like knowing how to sew on a button, do the laundry, make their bed, and scramble an egg could be important. Make a list of things you think they should know how to do and pick one or two of them to teach on an afternoon when they are bored!

Tap all your previous learning resources. You know what worked for you last time. Resurrect the same resources. Here is a shortlist of some of the easily accessible learning tools we love.

DIY Camp: you might not be able to do the outings portion but all the activities are solid and can be scaled for your resources and your child’s developmental stage.

Love this online resource! Tons of great, short, educational videos on everything from world history to ecology. Whatever they’re interested in, there’s a lesson on it.

This phonics card game is a great option for fun, at-home learning.

Easy videos for at-home craft ideas. The Strega Nona pasta project is one of my personal favorites and I guarantee you already have all the materials in your kitchen.

Lastly, it’s fine to think that this is all stinks, but remember, it will pass. In the meantime, however, mask up, social distance, wash your hands, and if you are eligible and haven’t already, please get the vaccine.

Photo: Unsplash

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