It’s almost midnight, 10 days into home schooling and as I sit here, and type, I am actually questioning my sanity…why am I writing a blog at this hour?! Well, I am trying to wind down after a 19-hour day, part of which has been spent being a working Mum, part home-schooling and part trying to keep on top of household chores.
Admittedly, this is an exceptionally late finish for me, but the reality is, late nights are what I and many more working parents face over the next few weeks.
What we can all agree on as parents I am sure is that we will all look on this differently depending on our own circumstances.
Some of us will be happy that the schools have closed, others will not. Some of us will be worried about catching the virus, others will be worried about the impact this will have on our children’s education and social development. We all have differing thoughts, worries and anxieties.
For me, I have experienced a whole wave of emotions over the past 10 days. I have been scared, angry, overwhelmed, anxious, there have been uncontrollable tears and there has been periods when I have felt like I am suffocating. But there have also been times when I have enjoyed the challenge, I have been thankful of the opportunity and I have felt comfort knowing my children are safe. The circumstances we find ourselves in is what it is, and we can either let all these emotions take over or we can accept it and take control.
10 things I have learnt over the past 10 days:
- Our children are always watching, and they will remember how we respond (they will also remember that Mummy once said a word she should not have said and when trying to teach ‘diagraphs’ we must be careful what sounds we ask our child to think about!).
- We all have a support network, whether it be our partners, our friends, our family, or our work colleagues. We need to remember they are there for us and we are there for them. We are all scared, but we are less scared together. Ask for help from these people if needed, it is a sign of your strength not your weakness.
- Even if we have not completed every single school task each day, we are still making a difference in our children’s lives. They are still growing and learning each day and as their parent, simply showing determination in attempting to manage this mammoth task teaches them so much.
- Have a plan. At my firm, Robson Laidler we talk a lot about setting goals and putting a plan in place; we use the Now, Where, How model – where are you now, where do you want to be and how will you get there. The same can be applied here. Set yourself daily, weekly, or even monthly goals and break them down into manageable chunks. The satisfaction you feel from simply ‘ticking things off’ can give you a sense of achievement and feel motivated.
- Don’t hesitate to ask Google or Alexa when it comes to home schooling, we are not teachers so unless we ask, we are likely not to know what some of the terminology we are being asked to teach our children even means.
- Accept that despite the positive mental attitude you will still have bad days but that’s okay.
- Do at least one thing for you each day, read a book, do some exercise, watch Netflix, write a blog.
- Going to the shop for wine (if you are picking up a loaf of bread too) is considered to be an essential journey!
- If you are unsure about the best way to ‘teach’ your child, then business advisors at my firm, Robson Laidler, can help. We are offering ‘Youth Motivational Mapping’ exercises, which we are running complimentary now to help parents who would like to understand their child’s preferred learning style. The exercise is for young people and those supporting them to transform personal energy into outstanding performance. The Map is suitable for children between 7 (Key Stage 2) and 18.
- Be grateful for this once in a lifetime opportunity to spend more time with our children, in the years to come, we will look back and we will smile.
If you are struggling and simply just want somebody to talk to, then please reach out and if you are interested in applying for a free trial of the Youth Maps get in touch with my colleagues here.