To think I can’t home school and wfh full time?!

[Fuckfuckfuckshit]

I’m a single mother with a 2 and a 6yr old and have a demanding ft job in an industry that is currently extremely busy due to C19 (food). I tried to do some work with my 6yr old on day 1 in between conf calls but my 2yr old needs more attention and it was impossible to distract him. Is anyone in a similar position making this work?

Me too, completely impossible equation. I read this the other day and almost cried with relief:

www.brightminds.co.uk/blogs/news/are-you-doing-enough-yes?utm_campaign=Corona%20Update%202%20from%20BrightMinds%20%28Ly73kC%29&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Total%20Predicted%20Lifetime%20Value%20HIGH&_ke=eyJrbF9lbWFpbCI6ICJtYXJpYWJyZW5uYW5AaG90bWFpbC5jby51ayIsICJrbF9jb21wYW55X2lkIjogIk55d3hIdCJ9

Ours are in Easter break and have not done any school work. I will look at it in just over a week,maybe.

My job is not important but it is to me and us as a family long term. Work is what pays the Bill's. we learn all day long and children do.

I think you are putting too much pressure on yourself. Remember when schooling at home, they only need to do an hour to match what they realistically get in school (in infants anyway). Have a go at doing some educational games at the weekend and if school has a login for mymaths, see if you can get him to do a task every other evening and read before bed on the other nights. It is more than enough. The rest of the time can they play in the garden and watch some TV?

Thank you lollymad. That’s reassuring

Great link Firmly

I’ve been ill for last week and a bit, did I have CV? Or just a cold that sent my asthma crazy? I dunno. Kids were scared I was gonna go to hospital and be put on machine. To be fair it’s not the first time I’ve needed hospital. Dh working from home in a stressful supply chain job, and im expected to wfh as much as possible.

No schooling apart from occasional reading has taken place and the odd bit of maths. Kids aren’t hungry to learn and I don’t have the energy to turn it into a battle. They are also scared and it’s a big change for them. Eldest not even 8 yet.

I keep seeing all these helicopter parents planning their kids daily lives and showing off on FB what they’ve got their kids doing.

I just let mine go semi feral, and break-up any fighting. They seem to find something to do each day together. Home made marble runs, colouring competitions, playing mud cafes in the garden. Today they’ve decorated the lounge with paper chains.

I just let them get on with it. Cannot spend the next however months listening to, “I’m bored!” My standard answer is, read a book then. None of them ever bloody do. Am I going to stress about school work when who knows what difficulties we may face in the coming months, illness, deaths, financial hardships? Yeah let’s heap stress on our kids and wreck their fragile minds. Unstructured play is very good for them.

I’m sure they’ll catch up. We are all in survival mode!

I'm lucky in that my work are allowing me to do stuff in the evening/weekends & I'm off over Easter. DH is absolutely snowed under & relatively new in the role so has to work usual hours so others can guide him.

Trying to teach my 6yo is so hard as he doesn't like writing & then the 3yo is completely neglected. 😭

Try and catch up a bit with the school work on the weekend, but if you can’t do it you can’t do it. He’s only 6. The priority is you keep your job, so make that your priority now

@lollymad has written an excellent excellent post and I agree with all of it

I’m a teacher too, and this week in my house we kicked off at a hundred miles an hour doing full days timetable. That lasted until Tuesday! I’ve reassessed already!
This situation so hard for all. There will always be some who have done more and who crow about it but many will have done less.
The most important thing during this v difficult time is that your chn feel secure and safe. If you do something which helps them recall some addition facts , that’s awesome, but it’s not the main thing.
Find ways of doing things together when you’re not working- that doesn’t have to be strict ‘traditional’ teaching. Play a game and do a jigsaw. Count and do some simple sums when the dc are in the bath. Do some reading together and spotting phonic sounds at bedtime.

If they have to watch tv while you’re on the phone .... that’ll be fine.

oh & Im also desperately trying to find food delivery slots or buying expensive food delivery boxes & bringing food to my vulnerable mother. My sister sends the family chat vids of all the exercise she has done, sewing & diy projects too. I want to punch her!

@darbs76 the plan is to do a little everyday incl weekends & holidays to maximise the small amount I can manage.

Why are you expecting yourself to be able to do this?

If working from home and looking after children was the recipe for success, would we not have done it for year?

Honestly, I would just be glad at the end of the day if you've managed to get a slight be of work done and all family members have been fed and watered.

Stop expecting everything to just tick along and be normal in totally unprecedented times.

If you need to throw the kids an iPad and loads of chocolate for a bit of peace, go ahead!

No one in their right mind would ever judge you for doing your best.

It’s hard, really hard. I’m normally quite good at coping with stress, but I fear the next few months may break me. I am physically and emotionally drained already.

I’ve got a 4 year old and a soon to be 3 year old who argue like hell all day and want me with them all the time.

My partner is a full-time key worker, probably working around 50 hours on a good week. He has a heart condition, but as this condition is not on the list of most vulnerable, his employer will not allow him to wfh, even though it would be a possibility. Him putting himself in such risk worries me so much and is no doubt adding to my stress levels.

I work full-time in finance - due to the crisis and a short staffed team, my already demanding workload has doubled over the last couple of weeks. I’ve got so many new things to learn also, as I’m having to pick up the work of others. My employer has given us the option of unpaid leave if necessary for childcare. This just is not realistic - we could not afford to drop a wage, or even part of a wage. We pretty much live hand to mouth every month. So, I’m juggling a 9-5 job at home with the kids all by myself. Already been interrupted countless times whilst on conference calls and am massively struggling to keep on top of things - it’s only a matter of time before I get told I must go on unpaid leave due to poor output.

I’m getting so fed up with social media posts, “bored” families all with no work to do, on full or 80% wages - enjoying the sunshine, each other and time to indulge in hobbies. It seems thousands of families have been f*cked over here, having to run themselves ragged, partly neglecting their kids, whilst everyone else gets to have a jolly good time.

It’s also untrue that nurseries and schools will automatically take the children of key workers. Our nursery have closed their doors totally. Others locally will only take children where neither parent can work from home. So, no chance for us.

I know the grass isn’t always greener, and I’m coming across as a bit of a martyr, BUT I’m just so exhausted and fed up. I’m spending the time between putting the kids to bed and my partner coming home just crying to release the stress.

Apologies for the ramble, I just needed to get that all out.

Don't worry about home schooling honestly! They are so young. My 6 yr old has refused to do anything because he's not in school. Realistically a 6yr old could probably miss a year of school and would still catch up. Well done for managing so far and don't feel bad there's no other option

I'm a teacher and only have one child of my own at home. My child's school have been sending a timetable and resources for a full school day's worth of lessons each day. Today, I emailed them and told them they need to back off a bit. Tone it down to a could of grammar sheets, a reading comp and maybe a couple of maths sheets. Told them they can always top that up with an 'ideas list' for those who want to do more. I am struggling to do this whilst WFH and I am a teacher and only have 1 child.

*couple

No of course you can’t. Just do what you can. We’re all just doing our best after all. All the children will go back together and the teachers, God bless them, will start where they left off x

My grandchildren are home schooled, and my daughter says do not under-estimate the benefits of play. Your children learn with everything they do. And the schools will be ready for this when they reopen. Don't worry. Even bath time is an opportunity for children to learn through play. Lots of plastic containers, strainers, etc.. Setting the table for a meal means counting plates cups cutlery, etc., YouTube for videos. And a couple of bedtime stories every day. You can do this.

Of course you can't. Which is why working from home was never a solution to childcare costs.

Hi OP me and my husband are wfh, both managing about 5 hours a day and between us we manage about 2 20 min sessions with our 5 year old and the only way we can do this is when our 2 year old is on the tablet. We literally cant do more than this. There must be so many people in this position. Some kids take a year out to go travelling or move school systems to somewhere that doesn't start formal education til they're 7 or something...and it seems to make no difference. I'd try and move the focus from education to getting some exercise if you can and having fun

I can't see how you can do it. I'm a sahm and my whole day is taken up with their schoolwork now..printing stuff, navigating the online work, helping them, providing endless food, they ask for my help every thirty seconds. I have no idea how you could work from home, especially if you have a pre schooler or toddler too.

me too, 2 dcs (and 2 older ones), ft and really full on job. Single parent. It's so stressful. I'm a keyworker in theory, but the school don't really want children in unless absolutely necessary.

I've had to step away from the class what's app group - it makes me feel rubbish. Try to sit down with my 2 for 2 hours each morning, but didn't manage that at all for 2 days this week, and only for an hour on one of the other days.

I started work at 4am this morning. I spend the day hyperventilating because I'm so stressed.

And actually my youngest is older than yours - I feel very grateful I don't have a toddler! (although at least you could do back to back peppa pigs maybe?!).

I’m an employment lawyer working 14 hour days from home right now. I have barely seen my children (thankfully secondary school age so needing little supervision but even so). I just can’t be doing home school as well, I don’t have the knowledge or skills and would lose my job if I took the time. I’m concentrating on always, always having dinner together and that will have to do

I'm anxious because my 6 yo struggles with reading (had a speech delay) & I don't want him to fall behind.

Another teacher here. Your children are young so I honestly wouldn't worry too much. My own son is 6 and in year one. Slightly different circumstances but due to a family bereavement, we have only just started doing a but of school work today. We did some maths and literacy and he has played his phonics/maths games on the computer. We read to/with him every day. It will probably continue in much the same way as it's not possible to do a full day's worth of school work at home.

As for me, I teach secondary and I am starting work again on Monday following my compassionate leave this week. My Y11/13 classes have obviously gone now so I have Y7 and Y12.

The Y7 classes have work set online so I am mainly focusing online lessons at Y12. We need to plough on so that we don't end up massively behind in Y13. I can't deliver live Y7 lessons as well due to my own son being at home. None of it is ideal but we just have to do the best we can.

I also need to fit in a load of curriculum development work - goodness knows when that will happen.

I think over the next few weeks, we will gradually adjust and find a pattern that works for us (at least partly). I don't think it's realistic to think that anyone with young children/older children with additional needs/adults to care for will be able to do the same amount of work as they would in the workplace.