How To Do Daycare And School At Home If Your Child’s School Is Closed Due To The Coronavirus
You need to start making contingency plans in case of school closure
Most families have both spouses at work during the day while their children go to school. This is because it often takes two jobs to support a household.
But what happens when a school is closed? When that happens, a parent has to take off from work, or a relative is asked to watch the children at home.
It is a very rare event when there are week-long or month-long school closures when it is not summer. Yet, here we are. Many cities around the world, and even some countries, have already closed schools for extended periods of time.
This type of non-summer school closure is likely causing parents a mountain of stress on top of everything else they have to worry about. But if the school is closed, then that is what is happening and we have to get by.
What can you do if you think your school is going to be closed soon? Well, here are some suggestions:
- Determine which parent can take time off, or it both can then start thinking of which one will go first
- Call any relatives who might be able to come over and supervise your kids
- Talk with neighbors and form a neighborhood group
- Research if other places are available to watch kids
- Ask relatives if you can drop off your children at their place, assuming they have an adult at home
Make sure you keep up to date on information about the school closure. Check your email and other forms of notification from the school. Find out if there is a definite start and stop date for the closure and start making plans.
Now is the time to focus your efforts on the reality that school could be at your home for a while. Imagine the full day and how you can schedule the time. It is a lot easier to do this before the closure has been started.
Start gathering all the things you might need to make your home school a successful place for learning. If you have space, make sure you set aside specific locations in your home for different learning activities. It can get boring real fast if there is not variety. Find ways to decorate areas differently, such as a math corner, a reading couch, a science dome, or anything to make it fun.
If you have a teacher in your neighborhood, ask them for assistance. Teachers know a lot about how to maximize learning and how to sustain interest. They might also have access to curriculum and materials for your child’s grade level.
Both parents and students are likely to be heavily impacted by a school closure, but a home school can be great if you put in the effort. Make your home schooling areas as interactive, engaging, and exciting as possible so that learning can be sustained as much as possible.
