I am absolutely fucking drowning - please help!

[Spanneroo]

First day of school closures and I really truly can't cope.

DD(5) is in yr 1
DD(2) is very high energy and an absolute tornado - no longer has a nap, and attention span of a housefly
DTs(3mos) have very different needs atm as T1 is much bigger and developing faster than T2. Bedtime is synchronised, but daytime schedules are not.

We are in a 2 bed flat which we were due to move out of but it's fallen through since corona and we will likely be stuck here for the foreseeable future.

Trying to get any time for DD(5) to help her with her schooling is an absolute fucking nightmare and I just cannot cope. Since a long walk this morning, there has been a child crying at all times. I can't spread myself this thinly in such a tiny space.

Please does anyone have any ideas, esp for DD(2)? I love her but it's definitely her that's making this so utterly horrendous. She's really hard work usually, when I can spend all day out to keep her running around all the time. The staying at home is absolutely brutal and I can feel myself cracking already . I'm usually very laid back and not much fazes me, but my god, I don't think k can do this!

Just remember in lots of countries children don’t do formal learning until age 7. Read to them lots, look at YouTube videos of homeschoolers how they use daily tasks to teach, rather than formal approaches. But right now I’d give yourself a week or more early holiday and just do what you need to do to get through the day. Do you have a DP? What some people are doing is “shifting” the school week so they have non school days during the week then focus on schooling, for example, Saturday through Wednesday. This might help you and your partner to manage the twins and toddler while one of you spends some dedicated teaching time for a few hours a day on Saturday and Sunday with DD5.
Also remember most homeschoolers do not have “school time” from 9-3pm at age 5. Due to the dedicated one on one time they would normally only be doing 1-3 hours a day at that age.

You've all made me feel so much better. I will take the foot off the gas with the school stuff.

Thinking about it now actually, I can easily incorporate a topic into most of our daily walks- shapes, counting, reading road signs etc.

She's enjoying drawing and measuring different fruit in the kitchen at the moment, so I've left her to it rather than moving her onto something else. DD2 is playing cricket with me with balloon and dress-up broomstick in the living room.

I feel less frantic already. Thank you all so so much.

Ditch the school work now. Put the tv on - you ALL have to keep sane and happy.

I mean this with respect - you're one of tens of thousands who are struggling in the same way. My friend is a single mum to 5 children - all with special needs and living in a bed sit in a refuge with other residents who are hogging the kitchen all day & night! She's utterly beside herself.

I'm a single mum to a 5yr old with autism who needs CONSTANT interaction. Who questions my EVERY. SINGLE. MOVEMENT - Everything I do and wails like an air raid siren for hours whenever I dare imply she's even slightly wrong.
I have no help with parenting whatsoever from anyone else. I've cried 6 times today already, out of frustration, despair and already had suicidal thoughts.

I know I may be coming across as unsympathetic but you need to realise this is a really, really, really hard time for most of us. Thankfully, the chances are that this won't go on for just short of 6 years like WW2 did. With any luck, within a couple of months-maybe 3- it will all be over.

We just have to do what we have to do to get through it until then.

I'm trying to create some kind of schedule, in the hope that we find a new 'normal'

Sod the schoolwork. What would you do on a rainy day in the holidays?

Yes. Your last comment reflects exactly what real learning is all about at this age.

Encourage creativity, feed curiosity and foster a deep love of books and learning. That’s really all you need to do.

Yes you can incorporate it into everyday activities. A lot of maths can happen in the kitchen. Start discussions and drop in info about subjects that come up on the tv or in general conversation. Keep reading together. Sing times tables as you go on walls etc. At that age you don't really need formal learning - and you never know, the two year old might pick some of it up as well...

PLEASE dont go for a walk. we are all in challenging situations, but doing this will put everyone else at risk.

Also, check out YouTube for dancing/exercise videos for the kids. PE with Joe is on every morning at 9am but he has other videos on his channel which might be worth looking at. There must be others. There was some nursery doing music things on YouTube too.

We've cleared out the iPad for 4yo DS (reception) leaving him with some educational apps to play. Some are currently free or reduced cost at the moment. If you have a device, it might be a way of doing something educational with a fun spin (and it means I can get on with other things while he's engaged for a few minutes!)

Just focus on maths and english. Break things down into small chunks. You are doing a great job so don't beat yourself up if you feel things are not getting done. x

I teach year 1.
Bugger school work, you have my permission.

Schoolwork can be anything like counting dogs who walk past, how many brown etc etc. Drawing one. Writing about one.
Use the TV: put a documentary on.
Above all basic but you get the idea?
Nature trail..

Can we just take 2 minutes to sit and think about all of the childcare workers who, day in day out look after the country's children for a begrudged pay ( how many parents complain about fees)Mums are finding it hard after a few days with 2 or 3 children, try doing it everyday with a class of 24
Those childcare workers are going into work now, to look after children who may be carriers, they are risking their health and the health of their own children and families.

Another one saying don’t stress about schoolwork. If she does get behind, she will only be as behind as most other children in her year. They will all catch up eventually.

The important thing here is to establish new routines. Set a time for reading together, a time for playing, a time for a walk or doing active games inside, times for tv/DVD’s, times to FaceTime family, times f0r baths/showers, times for meals, times for snacks etc. Establish a new framework for the days and stick to it while you all settle into this new way of life.

Youtube Cosmic Kids yoga.

I'm playing Musical Statues at least once an hour with mine at the moment - they have a particular song that they know is for this game.

I play it at random intervals on my phone and they all start dancing like crazy. Then I press pause at moments and they have to freeze, unpausing means dancing again. They love it, and it's doing a great job of tiring them out throughout the day with very little energy from me!

Bath time has also become extra long - an opportunity to play rather than just get clean and out again.

Every toy fish and boat is in there, I've done a makeshift fishing game, some plastic containers with holes cut into them for pouring water, and sometimes we do bubbles.

They can spend an hour doing this if I top up the warm water, and it keeps them all happy and in the same place (they are all small enough to bath together).

Fairly peaceful for me too, as they entertain themselves. I either sit on the floor watching them and just relax for a bit, or take the opportunity to do some bathroom cleaning.

Your children are so young, I really wouldn't worry about home schooling. Take them all out in the sunshine, and ask them to spot birds, blossom and bugs.

When you get back have play time in the bath - with you sitting down next to them. Lots of toys and bubbles.

When that is finished it is movie time.

Only do the bare minimum op, take time out when the baby sleeps. One day at a time.

Get the 2 oldest DDs to help you. They can count sprouts or spoons for dinner, pair up socks from the washer. Good fun activities which are loosely educational. Im sure you can find more

Nothing to add but sending you a massive hug xxxx

PLEASE dont go for a walk. we are all in challenging situations, but doing this will put everyone else at risk.

Err, government guidelines have stated clearly that people are allowed and encouraged to get fresh air and exercise. The OP and her children are not in quarantine.

I’m a Year 1 teacher and Assistant Head. It’s absolutely fine to ease off the school work. I would do PE with Joe Wicks every morning at 9am (your 2 your old might enjoy this too) and 10 mins reading. Pearson are shortly going to make Bug Club reading free access for parents - this will be great as kids love it and it will also read the book to them if there’s a word they don’t know and a parent isn’t available.

I have a year 1 DS and a 2 year old DS and I’m working from home. Reading is the most important thing at this age, it’s OK to let other things slide.

Order lots of balloons now, before Amazon start delivering essentials only! Then you have a good stock for the summer. The two and five year old can play balloon tennis together, hitting it at a wall (over the sofa?) then the other has to hit it back before it hits the floor, or after one bounce, if that is too hard. Get them to see how long a rally they can achieve. Ten goes before someone misses it? Twenty goes?

If you can find a space outside, make sure you have some rope so that you and your five year old can turn the rope for the two year old to skip over. Does the 5 year old have a skipping rope?

Save yoghurt pots or loo roll holders to build towers or make home made skittles. (Put some pebbles/stones inside and then seal up the end with sellotape.) If you have a tennis ball your 2 and 5 year old can roll the ball to knock them down.

Best of luck. You really have your hands full - MN award for busiest mum of the day goes to . . . !

I am like you I would worry massively about school work. But the advice above is sound. Don’t worry now. Get through next two weeks and Easter. Then reevaluate.

I would probably only do bits with her when my partner was home.

Also I am a teacher, mum of 3 and have a masters in education. Sorry I am thinking while typing. Just up your talk... when making dinner ... lay the table... if we had 12 dinosaurs coming to dinner how many spoons would we have to lay out in total. Wow it took me 10 minutes to hoover the lounge. How much hoovering will I have done in 3 days? Much more effective than worksheets imo.

Lots of lovely teachers are posting messages saying, do not worry at all about school work. It really doesn't matter. Just do whatever you need to do/can do to get through each hour. Good luck