Well hello there! Boy a lot has changed since my last post. I hope you all are staying safe and healthy. Like many of you, my family and I are still trying to adjust to the new normal, which has been really difficult.
With online schooling starting Monday, (For us Canadian’s at least) I wanted to create a schedule for the kids and I to keep us in a routine. I think a daily routine is important for everyone. If you wanted to create a schedule for your family like I did, I put together some tips below that might help you.
Here are some tips when creating your Stay at Home Schedule:
MAKE IT COLOURFUL– Get your kids involved, and excited about the schedule. Have them help create it. Get them to colour different sections on the schedule, or if there is room, have them draw little pictures around it. If you printed it out on the computer, you can even add a piece of coloured construction paper to the back to make it more colourful.
ADD AT LEAST 2 OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES – It’s important to get out and get some fresh air. When kids are in school they get out 3 times a day. That’s why I added an outdoor activity in the morning, and another one in the afternoon. For our morning activity, we go for a walk around the block, and in the afternoon they can have some free time to play in the backyard or driveway.
HAVE 30 MINS TO 1 HR TIME SLOTS– Don’t make each activity too long, or the kids will get bored or frustrated with what they are doing. Make it manageable or else they might loose interest in that activity if you make it too long. I found 30mins to 1 hr is a good time-frame that keeps them engaged and interested.
ADD FUN THINGS – After each academic time slot, follow it with something fun afterwards as a reward. They will be motivated to complete their work if they know afterwards they can have free time to draw, make a craft, have screen time, play a game or watch a movie.
ADD CHOICES– For each time slot, give them choices to pick what to do. It will make them feel like they have more control. For example, during the Academic Slot I added workbooks, worksheets, writing, spelling or reading. Just make sure they know they need to choose something different each day, so they are getting each topic in.
ADD SNACKS– For the first couple of weeks we were going through a ton of snacks! Every second they were asking for something to eat which was just getting out of control. Adding a snack time into your schedule will help control the amount of snacks they are getting each day.
DON’T BE TOO SERIOUS – Don’t stick to the schedule all 7 days in the week- kids need a break. Mimic the school year, and leave weekends for more family activities and down time.
Hope these tips help you create your daily schedule!