Top 3 Tips for Parents to Get Through Corona — Without Going to Jail
How to keep your kids (and yourself) alive with some semblance of sanity.This is for the parents who are in lockdown, partially, fully or by choice.
I don’t know about you, but the Corona hit my family and me like waves on the sea, crashing over and over again, we felt like we were slowly drowning as we helplessly watched our former lives wash away.
Swiftly, as the disease drew closer and closer to our shores, it paralyzed us with those noxious microscopic foes that held the world captive.
Here we were, with 4 rambunctious kids, left all alone. No school, no afternoon programs, no friends, no playdates, (and no break time for an exhausted mommy.)
Unfortunately, we were contained in our own familial hell, with everything that entails: the torture, the screaming (mainly from me), and the dissonance from within the ranks. I won’t admit that I cried, screamed, or both as the days wore on.
However, there were a few pieces of advice that kept me (almost) emotionally stable. As the saying goes “forewarned is forearmed.” I hope that this advice can help your sanity stay afloat as the lockdowns take their heavy toll, at least until that glorious day that we find a vaccine.
Survival Tip # 1: Keep a schedule
Get into a schedule, even if your schedule doesn’t start until 10 am. At a bare minimum have a rough estimate of what you want you and your kids to accomplish.
Our goal now, and in life in general, is not just to survive, it is to help our children cope well in difficult times, and to give them the knowledge they need to successfully navigate through all situations.
With this in mind, let’s say the first lesson you want your kids to learn is orderliness in the face of chaos. In short, instruct your kids to clean up their rooms and make their beds every morning. For this to actually come to fruition, they may need some prodding. I use reward charts and give out prizes at the end of many good efforts.
This also helps your children to get into a rhythm. You will face less resistance from grumpy children because they will have a more clear understanding of what is expected from them. A schedule will help them understand that now is the time to do the current activity, because the schedule says there is more to come. That’s the beginning of a magical routine.
Next, they should get dressed and eat. If they are old enough to clean up, they should be encouraged to do so. We aren’t going to leave all that mess for Mommy!
After that, they can do one worksheet that you downloaded from education.com which is a website I highly recommend. As a teacher, I can honestly say that this website has done wonders for us. Here is the link: https://www.education.com/worksheet-generator/reading/word-search/
Soon, in just a few minutes of browsing the site, you will find something that interests you. You might even find too much to do, and get lost in the possibilities. Don’t worry, fortunately, or unfortunately, there are plenty of days to do all of these worksheets.
Perhaps on Monday, you want them to learn one sheet of math.
On Tuesday, they can do one sheet of science.
On Wednesday, one sheet of reading comprehension.
By the way, you can also have your children review the materials any day of the week, or just every Thursday.
That may take you 1.5–2 hours. Ok, now just 10 hours to go…but wait you can have them just do free hour! Allow them to pick out a book, or download a word search which you can make yourself, very easily from the internet. I did this a few times. I put in the names of my children, their favorite colors, the names of their friends. They absolutely loved doing the word searches, since they were so custom made for them.
At 1 pm you have lunch and maybe video/TV time for let’s say, 2 hours at most. Avoid the temptation to make TV time 7 hours.
You can set up a playlist that includes educational videos like Wild Kratts. By now, you may need a break, so go sip your wine in the bedroom (it’s 5 o’clock somewhere!).
Ok, ladies, and gents, final stretch. It’s about 3 pm. They might be cranky, and you probably are too. Go for a walk or let them go outside and ride bikes for a while.
Next is dinner at about 5 pm, then baths. By 6 pm if you still have the energy you can read them a story or get out some small project. Coloring/playdough works well, and then bedtime if they are young. On occasion, and if they behaved well, maybe another short video for them to watch.
Survival Tip #2 Print like it’s your job.
Buy a few ink cartridges, and 3 reams of paper and then get ready to print the hell out of your computer! I found a few really good websites. As I mentioned previously, you can make your own puzzles here.
https://www.education.com/worksheet-generator/reading/word-search/
There are other generators but I find that this is the easiest and best generator I found. Scouts promise!
Go to this website to make crafts, I usually save up my toilet paper rolls (free) and then we use them for projects. You can search their website for all kinds of projects.
https://www.dltk-kids.com/type/tp_roll.htm
https://www.education.com/ has games as well as sheets. You can print out 10 sheets for free. I bought a subscription, it was worth the money and the sanity.
I also found various homeschooling websites that are just good resources for content. Here is one I particularly like, https://www.themeasuredmom.com/
I love finding free coloring pages for them. You can try these websites:
http://www.supercoloring.com/coloring-pages/cartoons/spiderman
https://www.justcolor.net/kids/
One more caveat, don’t go through Pinterest. You won’t necessarily find the original link to the coloring page, most times it will be a 404 page, or a paywall. Save yourself the aggravation.
# Tip 3 You are going to have to read. Just accept it.
Invest in books or e-books on Amazon. It’s best if you read to your kids, not every day, but once or twice a week.
Right before the Corona hit, and I knew a lockdown was about to descend. I quickly grabbed my kids and ran to the bookstore. I might have bought the store out, but it was for a good cause, my sanity. I also bought CDs with stories and age-appropriate DVD’s.
Whether you’re able to “buy out” a bookstore or not, check out your local library. You might be able to gain access to their virtual selection of children’s books. That could save you a lot of money and time.
If the library option doesn’t work out, there is always Amazon. You can buy from their site and have the items shipped to you, or use your kindle and download good e-books.
I recommend any book published by Scholastic, or ones that have a Caldecott/Newberry Award seen on the cover of the book. You may also take a peek at most books and see if the book resonates with you. My personal favorite book, for children ages 3–7 is “The Kissing Hand”. It’s about a raccoon that does not want to go to school and how his mother soothes him with a special ancient kissing hand that he can take wherever he goes. Your kids will love it.
I also like to go to homeschooling websites for lists and short blurbs about educational books that are age-appropriate. The Measured Mom is a great resource, https://www.themeasuredmom.com/.
You can try other homeschool resources as well. Usually, they are created by homeschooling parents who share their own pitfalls, successes, and educational know-how with other homeschooling parents. Right now, that’s what you are. You are a homeschooling parent.
These are my favorite go-to plans when I’m plumb out of ideas. I hope this helps any parents out there trying to survive the Corona without reverting to drinking some yourself (You know the beer with the lime. I think I need a nap).
