With the recent coronavirus outbreak, you could feel anxious and confused about the sudden changes in your work schedule, as well as the schooling of your children.
You're not alone—countless households around the world have to adapt to self-quarantining steps, as well as changes to workplaces and schools. As overwhelming as these changes can seem, some planning, scheduling, and open communication will go a long way to ensure a smooth transition while you work and learn from home with your family.
Method 1Establishing a Learning Plan
1. Decide on meal times for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Try structuring your week as you normally would, setting aside time for meals as you and your children stay at home. Use a sheet of paper and a pen to outline a schedule for the upcoming weeks, listing specific time slots for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You can also use this schedule for other parts of your daily and weekly routine as well.
* Mealtimes provide valuable structure to your children’s day and can help give your routine a sense of normalcy.
* It may help to hold a family meeting to get your entire household on the same page.
* For instance, you could have breakfast scheduled from 8:00 to 8:30, lunch from 12:00 to 12:30, and dinner from 5:00 to 5:30. Make a plan that works for you and your family!
2. Get up-to-date with any online learning plans. Check online or contact your local school district to see if there are any plans or programs scheduled for digital classroom activities. If your child’s school or classroom is using this kind of technology, download the program you need on a computer or tablet. Be sure to practice with any online applications so you and your child are comfortable using them for future classes.
* Programs like Zoom, Blackboard, or other interfaces might be used for this kind of learning.
* If you don’t have internet access or aren’t able to access the online learning, be sure to let a teacher or school administrator know.
3. Break your child’s schedule into manageable chunks. Create a set schedule with specific timetables that your children can follow. Explain to your kids when they’ll work on certain subjects, and for how long. Give your children plenty of breaks and incentives throughout the day so they don’t feel overwhelmed or bored from their schoolwork.
* For instance, you could have your kids work on math from 9:00 to 10:00, then give them a 15-minute break to stretch and move around.
4. Give younger children time to play. Between their learning and studying times, invite your children to play with their favorite toys. Encourage your kids to entertain themselves, as you may be busy with your own work schedule. Specifically, invite your young ones to play with open-ended toys, like a toy kitchen, cars, or dolls.
* Create a makeshift recess so your kids can burn off extra energy. At some point in the day, let your kids run around outside or in the yard for 30 minutes or so.
5. Choose a time of day to have your kids work on homework. Keep track of any schoolwork that your children need to submit to their teachers. If the school or classroom has specific due dates, mark them down on your household schedule or planner. Set aside an hour or so throughout the day and encourage your kids to finish their homework in a timely manner, so they don’t have more work to do later on.
* For instance, you could set aside time from 4:00 to 5:00 PM for your kids to work on homework. Once they’re done, you can all enjoy dinner together, and the kids will have their evening free.
* Some kids may be more productive in the morning as opposed to the afternoon, and vice versa. Keep this mind when you’re planning the day out!
6. Check online for educational resources you can use. Visit some popular learning sites that focus on different subjects, like language learning, math, reading, science, and other subjects. Note that some sites may have a subscription fee, while others are completely free.
* Delta Math, Dog on a Log Books, Dreamscape, Historians 4SC, Vroom, Backpack Sciences, Biology Simulations, and Duolingo are a small handful of many free resources that you can use.
* You can also print out worksheets or activities for your kids to work on.
Method 2Managing Your Work Schedule
1. Establish a set routine for your remote job. Create a schedule for yourself, even if you’re working from home. Use a piece of scrap paper to create a rough chart for the week. For each day, write down 1 task that you’d like to get done in the morning and afternoon. As you go through your workday, use those goals to guide your work ethic.
* For instance, your morning task can be completing a spreadsheet, while your afternoon task can be drafting a report.
2. Get dressed and ready for the day. Climb out of bed and change out of your pajamas. Complete your usual routine, like showering and brushing your teeth, then change into a regular outfit. If you feel like you’re going to your job, it won’t feel as strange to do everything from home.
* You don’t have to dress to the nines, but wear something that you’d feel comfortable wearing out of the house.
3. Choose a workspace where you can focus on your job. Find an area without a lot of distractions, like a desk or table. If necessary, rearrange a nightstand or other small piece of furniture to make an office space for yourself.
* Don’t work in a place where you usually relax, like your bed, or else you may not be able to focus.
4. Message your colleagues and superiors to keep in touch. Establish a line of communication with your coworkers and boss, whether it’s via text or another application. Use programs like Skype, Slack, or Zoom to keep in touch with your fellow employees, which will make your remote work set-up feel less isolated.
* You can also host virtual parties with your office mates, like a pizza party or digital birthday party.
5. Focus on 1 task at a time. Think about what you want to get done at work, and focus on getting those tasks done. Don’t get sidetracked doing chores or other household jobs, as you can always do these things later on. Set aside certain chunks of the day to your job, and don’t do anything else during that period.
* For instance, you can set aside time between 9:00 AM and 1:00 PM to focus on work, then give yourself a break from 1:00 to 2:00 PM.
Tip: Make yourself lunch ahead of time, so you aren’t distracted with food or meal prep while you work.
6. Ask your spouse, partner, or older child to watch the younger kids. Try to work out a schedule so your kids can stay supervised while you’re at work. If you don’t have a spouse, partner, or another available party to watch over your kids, that’s okay! Reach out to your boss and let them know about your current situation, and see if you can reach a compromise.
* Since the coronavirus is pretty contagious, it’s not a good idea to invite babysitters or other people over. Do the best that you can, and keep open communication with your boss!
7. Vary your hours so you have more time with your kids. Tell your boss if you have young children at home, and ask if you can work an unconventional schedule. If you have a toddler or infant, you may want to work early morning hours, which gives you more time in the late morning and afternoon with your little one. Communicate with your boss until you find a scheduling compromise.
* For instance, if you have an infant, you may want to start working at 5:00 or 6:00 AM, while your child is still asleep.
8. Give yourself standing and walking breaks. Don’t sit for the entire day—instead, give yourself standing breaks. Open a window to let some fresh air in, or go for a short walk outside. As long as you aren’t in a big group, it’s perfectly fine to go outside and get fresh air.
* If you don’t want to sit all day, try doing your work while standing at a counter-top or other tall surface.
Method 3Keeping Your Children Entertained
1. Encourage your kids to enjoy hands-on activities and crafts. Bring out some board games, crafts, or other physical games that your kids can have fun with. If your kids are more artistic, you can invite them to write a comic book or make sock puppets. If your kids are getting a bit of cabin fever, use some online resources to take your kids on a virtual tour of famous locations.
* For instance,
you can take a virtual walk around the Great Wall of China here.
2. Invite your children to read while they’re stuck at home. Find some story books or novels that your kids might enjoy. To give your kids a more regimented schedule, set aside 20 minutes or so of designated quiet reading time.
* As a starting point, 15-20 minutes is a good chunk of time to set aside for reading.
3. Make a game out of washing and sanitizing toys. Fill a plastic bin with warm, soapy water, and encourage your children to wash their toys. Invite them to dunk their hands and toys into the water, then use a brush or sponge to clean them off. As a finishing touch, they can dry off the toys with a clean towel.
4. Teach your kids how to bake for a fun, educational activity. Gather your kids in the kitchen to make a sweet treat that they’ll enjoy, like cupcakes. Help the kids measure each ingredient, explaining the process as you go along. Once your dessert is finished baking, you can all enjoy it together!
* Feel free to choose any recipe that you think your kids will like.
5. Remind your children to play outside and get fresh air. Set aside 30 minutes or so for your kids to run around outside or in their yard. If you don’t have a yard, find a safe, isolated area outside where your kids can play, like a field or park. Incorporate this outdoor time into their daily school schedule, which may give your kids a stronger sense of routine.
* If you're letting them play in a public place, discourage them from touching items like playground equipment or drinking fountains. These surfaces may contain coronavirus germs.
Method 4Practicing Healthy Habits at Home
1. Remind your kids to wash their hands frequently. Keep hand soap and hand sanitizer around your house so your children can stay healthy. Instruct them to wash their hands with soap and water for 20 seconds, then to rinse and dry their hands. Make sure that your kids wash their hands before eating, and whenever they use the bathroom.
* Try making a game of getting lots of soap bubbles on your hands. (Encourage them to add extra soap or water if they're struggling.)
2. Teach your children the correct way to sneeze and cough. Remind your kids to cover their mouth and nose when they sneeze, which prevents germs from spreading in the air. Instead, show them how to sneeze and cough into their elbow, or remind them to use a tissue.
3. Encourage your children to stop touching their faces. Keep a close on your kids to make sure they’re not picking their nose or putting their hands in their mouth. If you catch them in the act, tell them to wash their hands.
* Try giving positively-worded reminders, like "hands off your face, please!"
*Encourage fidgety kids to wear fidget jewelry and/or use fidget toys so they have a better way to occupy their hands.
4. Wipe down common household surfaces each day. Use disinfecting wipes or soapy water to sanitize the countertops, tables, and other commonly used surfaces in your home. Be sure to clean these surfaces on a regular, daily basis so they don’t spread germs.
* You can also use regular cleaning detergent and warm water for this.
5. Answer your kids’ questions calmly and rationally. Be open and accepting to your kid’s questions about the outbreak. Remind that they’re not in any danger, and that grown-ups have the situation under control. If your children still seem uneasy, remind them that they can talk to you about anything.
Source:
Wiki How
