These are unprecedented times. A new frontier, if you will, for almost everyone in the world. Many parents who never planned on being THIS intimately involved in the minutiae of day to day second grade, are finding themselves proctoring grammar quizzes while on Zoom call “Happy Hours “with other actuaries in North Carolina. Bizarre.

But now that we’re coming out of the fog and the stress level in our homes has gone down from CODE RED to WE ARE TOGETHER A LOT, parents at Whitefield Academy have come up with 10 easy and helpful tips, tricks, and hacks for thriving during school-at-home.

1. Create a Group Me or a group chat with all the other moms or dads in your grade. This gives you a place to field questions, ask what Fact Sheet 107-A looks like, and be encouraged by other parents in the exact situation as you.
2. Get up before your kids. This is a huge one. This gives you an opportunity to get dressed, make coffee, print lesson plans, read some Scripture and say a prayer…getting your heart and mind ready for the day. Even if it’s just 20 minutes, you’ll appreciate the time.
3. For younger kids, if your teacher has sent instructional videos for math or grammar or what have you, play them during breakfast. It gets the screens out of the way and helps your kiddo know exactly what’s ahead of him.
4. Also, if you have non-instructional videos like a teacher reading a book, these are great to save and play during lunch or snack so that parents can get some work done.
5. Is “I’m hungry!” the new anthem that rings from corner to corner of your home? Grab a basket, bag, or box and pull out the snacks that your kids can have for a day. One bar per day rule? Put one in. Need to have fruit? Put it in. Your kids who are planners and savers might just have a pile of food at 4:00, and that’s ok. Your kids who are more “live in the moment” kind of people might have all their snacks at 7:30am. That’s ok. They’ll figure it out.
6. White boards. We’ve seen them used from PK to 12^th during school at home. Older kids can write out their schedules to stay on track, check off completed assignments, and work out longer math problems. Younger kids can do the same with help. No board? Windows work just as well!
7. As the weeks drag on and the boredom sets in, it’s going to become increasingly more important to spend time exercising. Whether your kiddo is a high school athlete missing her soccer season or a first grader with a lot of energy, making an hour of outdoor time or exercise mandatory is going to make everyone happier. There are a ton of fun online workouts, or you can see if their teams or gym classes are doing Zoom calls.
8. Have honest discussions about household jobs. This is a totally new period of time for everyone, so dad might need to pitch in on his break to make lunch and grade papers. Kids might need to learn some laundry and bathroom cleaning skills, and mom might need to loosen her grip on those things. I mean hey, let older kids build you something in the backyard. Want a garden shed? Check YouTube.
9. Help your kids maintain their friendships. Older kids might need to be encouraged to hop on phone calls or Zoom calls with friends from school or youth group. Younger kids will need you to sit there and moderate a lunch Zoom chat, but in the long run, the time put in will be worth it in those relationships.
10. Stop playing the comparison game. Your situation is unique to you and your family and has been lovingly designed and mandated by God. “Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; the faithful God who keeps covenant…” (Deut. 7:9). God has set a hard task before you, but He will bring it to completion.

Carry on, parents! You are doing a good work!

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