Queen Media Collective

When this whole talk of coronavirus came into play I didn’t think much of it, yet alone think it would lead to us basically being prisoners in our own homes; unable to enjoy the company of family & friends. It’s not like I was much of a social person in the first place but being told you HAVE to shelter-in-place will quickly make you wish you were out being a social butterfly. Before we were required to remain in doors, I had already been working from home for about 2-weeks, which was a relief for me because I take public transportation and the people in the office always seemed to be sick. During that time my son was still going to school, enjoying his friends & I still had my time away from mommy duties while I worked. But then suddenly everything was starting to close and I was finally hit with an email that school would be closing for 2 weeks (he attends a private Christian School).

Now for me, two weeks didn’t seem bad and I just knew I would be able to handle working and being a mom literally the whole day with no breaks. The school had already set up the children on an online learning platform called Moby Max a week before the shut down happened. That should have been a sign that this was bond to happen, the school was already preparing.

Oh, but then things got real, my sons whole schedule was off and he was starting to feel like he was on a vacation from school. He was staying up late and waking up even later. He was doing all he could to avoid 30 minutes of math and 30 minutes of reading material. Then I almost had a meltdown when it hit me that he may not even be back in school until 1st grade starts. FREAKIN 1st GRADE!!! Like, how can this even be a reality? How in the hell will I have him prepared for a new grade when I’m still also having to do my own work? Panicked much?! Thank goodness his school and the teachers have still been pretty hands on. They created weekly playlists with lesson plans and educational videos, provided homework packets with the current curriculum and they’ve even started to have small Zoom meet ups for reading and to give the children a chance to see each other.

Now, the work being provided to me is the easy part about all of this, along with him enjoying the hands on work because like I said he cannot stand doing online learning. It literally takes him 2 hours to do an hour of work. It absolutely drives me insane. When we first started this homeschooling I was letting him do his work in my room while I did mine and all he wanted to do was look at himself in the mirror (something I did as a child) and try to be all in my business (kids are bout nosey as hell). Now, I have him go sit at the table downstairs, which has helped him focus more, especially with his short attention span, but still there are the times he just isn’t focused on what needs to be done and more so on what he can do around the house.

So here I am trying to figure out better ways to make sure he is still soaking up all the knowledge he needs because he is already a smart kid and I don’t want him to start slacking.

Here are a few tips that may help you like they help me:

1. Set 2-4 Hours Of Time To The Side to focus on academics: remember to keep your child’s age in mind and how much they are able to handle. Also this time does not have to be done straight through. Break it up throughout the day in order to give your child’s mind a break.
2. Each Day, Work On A Different Subject: You don’t want to overcrowd your little ones head with multiple subjects in a day. Work on writing & reading one day, math another and add in some fun art projects or music on other days.
3. BE Patient: This is big for me. Homeschooling is new for not only you but your child as well. The more irritated you get the less your kid will be interested in learning anything.
4. Let The Family Help: Sometimes you need a break yourself and some children, for my son example, listens/focuses more when his grandma helps him than I do. Different techniques can have different results.
5. Don’t Be Afraid To Reward Your Child: Go out for ice cream or candy. Surprise them with a small gift for doing good throughout the week.
6. Make Learning Fun: Create games or songs that are educational. It might not seem like homework to the kids but at least you know they are learning.
7. Allow Your Child To Take Charge: Ask your kid what they would like to focus on for the day. I noticed when I let my son take charge the more excited he is about learning.

Homeschooling may not be easy for all of us but the more time I spend with my hyperactive/moody 5-year-old, the more I learn about what works for him as well as myself.