Prepping The House For Homeschool

school setupThe world is crazy right now. The pandemic known to us all as “Covid” or “Corona” has turned everything that we thought we knew upside down. People who thought they had a steady job, have had to start staying home. Many have lost their jobs and now must rely on the state for help. In other situations, moms or dads are prepping the house for homeschool, as well as take care of the home, work from home, and more. It is a world of adjustments to be made and not all of them are easy.

A New Way of Life

home school setupThe pandemic has changed everything we know about our life and our situation. We have always known it was important to wash our hands and try to protect ourselves from germs. Now though, it pays to be  extra cautious. Obsessively washing hands, wearing masks, and avoiding human contact out of fear that someone may sneeze.

It keeps us home, when we would normally be out eating dinner. It is keeping us home from work if there is a chance we can do so. Schools are unprepared, and our kids are being kept home out of fear. It is a lot of changes in a somewhat short time. And according to most moms, the home school stuff is the hardest. It requires a lot of preparation and a certain amount of commitment that is not always easy.

Prepping for Home School

home classroomsAs a parent, you are your child’s first and most important teacher. Ask any parent and they will tell you the same thing. However, teaching kids at home to work out complex math problems, algebra, how to read and write perfectly: its a bit different.

You need computers, you need work stations or desks, you need to have a lesson plan or lesson ideas that can teach, and you must also have a good knowledge of what you are trying to teach your child. You can keep learning fun with games. Perhaps use a tabletop dice tray and implement it into teaching little ones to count? You could also use it to play with sight words, ABCs, and more.

Science experiments with kids is always fun. You should look online to discover ideas. Pens, pencils, paper, etc are also things that you will want to make sure you have a lot of. Printer ink is also a good choice so you can print out lessons from your school if needed.

Support for Parents

Depending on the school option you feel is best for your child, you may get help with books and other supplies as well. Not all schools are making that offer, but many of them are. If yours doesn’t, there are Facebook groups, websites, and other places you can go to find out what is required of you during these challenging times.

The big thing is to remember that you are not alone in this. There are families from coast to coast and even in other countries who are going through the exact same challenges today that you are. Together, we can all get through it and come out better on the other side of this pandemic.

Home

parentingHow often have you as a parent, wished you could take a vacation day? Wished you could find a way to make it easier for yourself? The truth is, being a parent is one of the hardest jobs you could ever get hired to do. You are at the beck and call of someone who is between 20-inches and 20-feet tall. They dictate when you wake, when you sleep, and sometimes when you pee. Beyond that, not only do they control you, but you have to also teach them right and wrong. “No, you cannot live on soda and PB&J! Eat your peas…” Then, you flip the coin and a day goes right. You can focus on the cuddles and the laughter. It is a blessing and a curse and our goal is to help you keep the fun of it all!

Why Parenting is Hard

parenting and stressThe simplest answer out there is, “Because it cant be easy to raise tiny humans to be perfect.” We aren’t born perfect. We are born not knowing and need guidance constantly.

The harder answer is a lot more complex. When we are growing up, we imagine ourselves being “better” parents to our kids. We imagine we will be the one who says, “yes” to 24/7 snack time, staying up all night, etc. Then we have them. We grow up and realize that snack time is not something we should do constantly. We want them to learn, we want them to be happy, healthy, and ultimately great adults. We don’t want to raise monsters.

Beyond that plan you have for yourself, you realize that all other plans go out the window, too. You can’t go out with friends, baby sitter is busy. You can’t eat dinner, baby is needing to be fed first. We can’t take a vacation, kids cannot miss that much school, rebellious teen says they refuse to go and by now you aren’t confident that teens should be left alone. What if they do something you wouldn’t approve of? It happens every day, but, “Not in my house!”

Stress and parenting go hand-in-hand. It starts the moment you see a line on a “pee-stick” and doesn’t go away as long as you draw breath. The good news is, you can have a vacation day. You can have a day where everything is grand.

Parenting Made Easier

parenting cuddlesYou cant take all the frustration out of parenting, but you can learn ways to improvise without losing your sanity. To have happy, healthy kids, focus your energy on letting them see how you behave and encourage them to follow through. For instance, if you say, “No games after 9-pm, then don’t let them see you playing games.” This is an extreme example, but often we tell kids to do something without setting a good example for them to follow. “Do as I say, not as I do.”

Make plans for family game night and actually spend time talking out problems at school or bonding over a bowl of popcorn. The more you show them that you are there for the long haul, the more they will turn to you. Once you have that routine established, you will get more kisses, cuddles, and thank you’s than you can imagine. It will also allow you to relax and savor the moments a little more often.

Most Importantly- LAUGH OFF BAD DAYS!