School closures: Sample work+homeschooling schedule?

amother

Mint

Mon, Mar 16 2020, 12:29 am

At night, when your kids are in bed:

1) Break up the work you need to do into 20-minute increments so you know exactly what must be done. 20 minutes is the most you can expect in a "burst."

2) Prepare charts with chores and responsibilities. One child will make sandwiches for lunch, one child will put out and clear up breakfast, another is in charge of snack. "Cooperation charts" are also a good idea - award points every time a child balks but cooperates.

3) Plan "self-babysitting" slots.
- playdough for younger kids; crosswords for older
- video that most kids will enjoy watching
- exercise video that everyone can join (like Mendy Music)
- coloring sheets for younger; schoolwork for older
- 20-minute cleanup blitz followed by treat
- enforced quiet time - everyone must be in their room and quiet - they can read, play quiet board games, or rest

4) Consider paying (with $$ or privileges) your high schoolers for 30-minute babysitting slots, if they are amenable.

Get enough sleep for yourself! You need a lot of energy to deal with it all.

In the morning, let the kids sleep in later if you usually do so on weekends. They probably don't get enough sleep on a school day.

Plan to give the kids 15 minutes of attention, guidance and assistance between every 20-minute period of work you can get. If you check on them and they are doing well, quietly go back for 5-10 more minutes of work.

Use rewards. Nosh, screen time, allowance, toys, stickers - yes, use them all.

ora_43

Mon, Mar 16 2020, 1:38 am

So far my plan is:

I work 7am-8am

"School" is from 8-2. During that time one hour of activity is something the kids can do without me (eg watching science videos, doing an art project); I work.

After school, older kids babysit for 1-2 hours, I work.

Dh gets home at 5pm, I work 5-8.

Dh is off two mornings a week (evening shifts), I work regularly those days. Overall I work 6 days a week (sunday-friday) so even though it's only 6 hours most days it evens out.

I'll be honest, yesterday it only went so-so. Working split shifts was a lot easier 10-15 years ago Sad

. I was so tired by 7pm. I like amother-Mint's idea about 20-minute work segments. (although I think overall my schedule will have to stay about what it is for now)

bamba

Mon, Mar 16 2020, 2:06 am

It’s nearly impossible for me to do my work whilst the kids are awake.
My baby doesn’t give me a second when he sees me on the computer!
And I’m going to have to start using his sleeping time to teach my older child.
So work will have to be evenings only (don’t ask when I’ll do pesach cleaning etc...)
At the moment mornings will be getting dressed davening etc (I made a checklist my child has to do every morning...
there will be some structured learning - things I’ll teach him and activities he’ll do (pesach colouring/workbook/English/maths)
With some breaks for eating etc.
Then free play with toys or play do or activities he can do alone so I can breathe a bit.
And then some watching time.

Whatever I manage to teach them then good. I’m not stressing myself out if they just play/watch all day!

amother

Babyblue

Mon, Mar 16 2020, 6:51 am

I plan to do as follows...we’ll see how it works out, I’ll make adjustments as needed:

9:00 everyone wakes up, eats breakfast, gets dressed.
10:00 davening together with little kids, will prob stick to basics like model ani, Bracha’s, schema, big kids daven to themselves
10:30 big kids go to online or phone program from their school if they have. If not I’ll find them something from Torah anytime or they help me teach little kids. Teaching little kids age 3 to 9, plan to do a skit of one macca per day, I’ll dress up, or do hands on activity, worksheet, tell a story, use a kids Pesach book. Then teach mah nishtanah, review one every 2 days,
11:15 20 Min recess of snack and play outside if weather nice.
11:35 review order of Haggadah, one step per day, first day kadesh, next day orchatz, etc. want to make a Haggadah booklet with them, will print out sheets iyh.
12:00 then will do random craft project, I’ll have older kids take turns assisting with little kids.
After crafts I want each little kid to do 5 min of Kriah With an older sibling.
1:00 half hour lunch (frozen pizza, fish sticks, salad, sandwich)
1:30 kids will help clean toys for Pesach for 1/2 hour while listening to music or Pesach story tape.
2:00 they get a video. snd I get to finish in Pesach kitchen.
Supper every night will be shnitzel, broccoli and pasta.

I plan to do Pesach cooking in my kitchen at intervals when older sibs are with kids and when they are watching a video. My bedrooms r done for Pesach, I just have downstairs left to do.

Now let’s see how well my kids cooperate!