to ask for ideas please - how do you home school a child whilst caring for a very lively toddler and working?

[beachbreeze]

I'm feeling embarrassed. I haven't managed more than an hour of school work with my 9 year old over the whole week. I'm wfh and have a two year old.

Friends have suggested sending her to her bedroom to do it, but then she can't ask me questions, and also my toddler stands crying and screaming at the stair gate.

I can divert toddler's attention briefly, but I'm working as well.

Any ideas please?!

I’m juggling similar atm, toddler, 7 yr old and working from home. Essentially trying to do the job of the nursery, school and my normal job at the same time. I have my DH to share the load (kind of- his main focus is work) but and I just feel like I’m letting everyone down. A routine is helping to an extent but I think I really need to lower my expectations of myself, and stop looking on social media at all the wonderful looking homeschooling posts.

Don't stress about it! Parents all over the country (and the world) are finding new ways of working and supporting their children's learning. Don't worry about what you see everyone posting on FB - everyone knows that is not the true reality.
There are loads of 'educational' activities your child could be doing that require little or no input from you.

Jo Wicks does his daily workout but you could just get her to set up an obstacle course in the garden then time herself completing it. How fast can she do it? How many times in 5 minutes? Can the toddler do it? How quickly? Can she time in seconds and convert to minutes and vice versa.

Loads of authors are reading their books online - she can find her own favourite authors to listen to and can then tell you about them when you take a break or over a meal time. Set her the task of finding a great picture book read online to share with the toddler later in the day - she'll find loads. Look up kidsactivitiesblog for ideas.

Mo Willems (author of Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus and others) is doing a daily Lunchdoodle - 20 minutes of talking about books and doing some doodles.

Shoo Rayner is a book illustrator who does fabulous online tutorials - cartoons, realistic drawing, drawing basics. We love the panda, especially.

Art of Kids Hub is a YouTube channel where a dad does an art tutorial alongside one of his own children. It's great for kids to see how things turn out okay even if they don't look like the original.

There is loads of other art stuff - take a pen for a walk is a good one to start with or look up a favourite work of art and there may well be a tutorial - hokasai's wave is fun.

Regarding maths - she must be in Y4 or Y5 - so working on quick recall of times tables will be helpful. Look up URBrainy MTC for a fun way to practise. Mathsframe is also a great way to practise maths - as is Khan Academy, which is free right now.

Spelling frame is an online (free) site for interactive spellings - I like it as it starts of basic and quickly works out what you are getting wrong - no need for an account.

There are loads of live zoocams which are fabulous ways to explore animals in their natural habitats. Some great ones (including pandas, whales, owls, bees) on explore.org.

Get her to watch Horrible Histories and see where she goes from there. She could choose something that interests her to research further.
primaryhomeworkhelp is a great starting place.

Get her involved in making dinner - or could she draw up a schedule or menu plan - this will all help with different aspects of maths. Get her to play with a bowl of water and the toddler - predict whether household objects will float or sink.
Get her to explore the house looking for all the things that use electricity - obviously remind her not to touch. Then get her to sort out appliances into whether they are mains or battery powered. Lots of stuff online to explore circuits and KS2 electricity.

Go to willowsmusical.com and sign in (free and just put in an email address) to watch the stage play of Wind in the Willows. It's a classic but great fun to watch. She could tell you about it in the form of a review.

Good Luck.

I appreciate you may be struggling with work set by school - tell them you need some time to get used to this new set up and then just be. As long as you stay in touch with the school and pick up when you can, it'll all work out fine.

All those parents struggling and thinking they have to replicate what is done in school - NO YOU DON'T!
You just need to keep your kids safe, loved and with things ticking over.If you are working from home then that has to take precedence as that's what pays the bills.
Yes schools (mostly) are setting work but most of it is consolidation - going over what the children have already been taught. Some children will do all of it, some children will do none of it and many will do some of it.
When this is all over and the children are back in school, the teachers will pick them up from wherever they are. This is what we train for and this is what we do every day - but this is not what parents do.

NB - I am a KS2 teacher with 20+ years experience and 3 children of my own (aged 13, 11 and 7).

I'd be tempted to get into a rhythm of work and basic childcare first then add in "proper" homeschooling where it seems to fit. The "holidays' are coming up so I assume no work will be set so you can do you less per day or have a week off now.

Apps should be available - if you have a spare device!

You can’t is the short answer . I’m currently working from home 4 days a week plus attempting to home school my daughter and I’m pregnant too. A week in and I’ve finally accepted I just have to do what I can! Little bits here and there. I’m lucky in that my OH is home from 5pm so he’s been taking over while I get a bit more work done. I’m sure there’s thousands of parents in the same situation

I've found this website really helpful for maths (also a single parent homeschooling a 5 and 8 year old with a toddler while working from home - gah!)

whiterosemaths.com/homelearning/

They release 5 new lessons each week for each year group and there's a video explaining the topic.

We do what we can in the morning, afternoons we play, evenings I catch up on emails. It's not possible for us to do any more. I'm shattered.

This website is good for phonics for those who have younger children too:

www.phonicsplay.co.uk/#

I'm a single parent WFH too. I'm not homeschooling, it's impossible when I'm working. I'm only able to work between 9 and 5 and if I don't work I don't get paid, so that's that.

It's not possible, teachers don't have other things to do, neither do sahm's, and neither do employees.
Ask 9 year old to get on whilst you work and toddler naps?
Then, when you finish work you can help 9 year old, maybe when toddler in bed?

Speaking as a teacher, you can't, so don't try. Enjoy your time together and make sure you concentrate on being happy and have some fun. This is a hard enough time as it is without putting extra pressure on yourself. Let them play in the sunshine, build Lego, dress up, draw pictures, play with play doh. It won't be forever. Be kind to yourself.

It's hard if you are a single parent, you can't do everything.
Couples should really be taking time off, alternating, they have no excuse not to educate their children.

This was me last week. It’s not possible. There was much shouting. I made full use of nap time and evenings when I got a good chunk of work done but nothing like normal. I don’t think I can work evenings forever.

Toddler is being ignored a lot while I set up activities for the other two. I set them off on something before playing with him.

It’s going to be messy whatever

You can't do it.

I have a 3, 6 and 8 year olds.

Mostly using Apps

Reading express
Mathseeds
Times tables rock stars

They can do those without much supervision while I wrangle the toddler! X

1. I saw a really good post on FB... the gist was... remember when you had your first baby and everyone else who'd just had their first baby was on FB with happy, smiling pictures and doing it all right, while you struggled? And then you found out everything wasn't quite what it seemed? That's homeschooling.
2. I've seen the happy smiling SAHMs with their happy smiling kids, in their happy smiling homeschooling rooms. I've also spoken to a 'happy smiling' SAHM privately this week - in tears that she's exhausted and can't go on. After a week!

OP. Just step away from FB and get you kids through this in one piece. You are working full time while juggling 2 children who are totally different ages with totally different needs. On your own! Forget the homeschooling. Forget the chunks. Forget the early mornings and late night compromises. Just make sure everyone is loved, fed and in bed. That's it!

I am working from home with my 7 and 9yr old and my 9 yr old has some learning difficulties

-I'm trying to do 1 hr of math in the morning while I'm working with one on either side of me or at lunch, then one hour of reading/writing after work

It all just generally sucks I know they need way more of my attention my employer is pretty obsessed with knowing we are working every second of our regular day. Otherwise I would start work earlier and end earlier or some such.

Duct tape?

Joking.

I've just burnt the dinner coz trying to work, mind kids and make dinner at the same time

Baby John savedvmy life when I was ill. Don't beat yourself up over the school work. We are in weird times your child will catch up the world won't end and there is months of this still to come. Keep calm OP the wold is a funny place all is changing you'll get through

Give 9 yr old a list of things to do independently. Don't worry about schoolwork too much. If the school have provided worksheets or stuff to do then include it on the list but only if it can be done without help. Then add stuff like colouring, drawing, lego, learn a musical instrument (if you have any in the house) using Youtube, playing in the garden (if you have one), learn a song, reading, educational stuff on Youtube that's being shared atm, Joe Wicks. Just anything that will keep her busy. It's basically impossible to teach and work never mind with a toddler in the mix too. If you get through this all alive and healthy you're winning.

It's pretty much impossible. I've got a very bright 4yr old DD. She's happy to craft, colour, play and watch a film but I can only leave her to her own devices for an hour, which is when I am frantically trying to catch up.

I think I've done around 10hrs actual work, and another 10 not so focused work this week.

I feel guilty when I'm working that I'm not parenting and vice versa. air could work in the evening but by the time DD is in bed I'm exhausted.

Lots of good tips here, but also: go easy on yourself OP. If you can keep two young children safe, fed and reasonably happy whilst working and with no help, you’re doing absolutely amazingly