Homeschooling NIGHTMARE

[MrsFluffyMuff]

Just been informed the kids' schools are closed for another 2 weeks (at least) so all learning will be online. Last time I struggled so much with homeschooling. I am a single parent with four children, all under 10, youngest is 1. How the fuck do other people with 4 or more kids manage it? I literally can't get one on one time with them for more than 2 minutes, it's impossible. They need someone to be able to sit for at least 30 minutes with them and go through everything. I've Got no one in my bubble to help as my parents are shielding.

AIBU for really struggling with this?

Can you shield for 2 weeks op and then go to stay with your parents? you could write those first 2 weeks off n,ot see anyone and try not to go anywhere/ get deliveries or click and collect your shopping so would be of no risk to your parents when you do go there. At least then if school closures go on for longer than expected you have a plan to get through it. I'm doing something similar. op it's a bloody nightmare

I would love to but they don't have space for the 5 of us :( thanks for the suggestion though

Are the eldest 3 all school age?

I would prioritise the 10 yr old, sit down with them first thing, go thru what needs doing then leave them to get on with it. With luck, they will get more live lessons than they did last time, and will be able to do it themselves.

The next two, have a look at what is being asked, and pick one thing per day-either English or Maths-for them to do. If you manage more than 1 each for them per day, give yourself a medal.

The school obviously know your situation and will understand.

Can’t their father step in and help out? Is he on the scene at all? I’d suggest your home schooling uses audio books more,
horrible Histories, lots of ‘PE’ - getting them outside, playing board games, and focussing on basics like some maths, timed tables for the younger ones, have them all do ‘art’ for an hour / colouring in, drawing etc

Can you get the older ones to 'teach' the younger ones for periods of time. Not ideal but if the 10 year old is reading to the younger ones or showing them simple maths at least they are not going to be losing their basic skills.

Thanks @HelloDulling, will definitely give that a try

Just spend your days on walks. Cooking dinner with them. Printed worksheets. Colouring. I know it sounds idealistic but even if it works a couple of times you've achieved that. They will catch up. This is not a huge amount of time to miss out so anything you get done is a bonus!

It's so hard isn't it. I only have two dc, but had them both isolating for 4 weeks before Christmas and found it so difficult. Both need my attention to get anything done, and I'm trying to wfh at the same time. I did an hour with them one to one a day maximum as that is all I could manage. Do they have access to tablets/laptops? When working with one of them I have sent the other to do some work online. BBC bitesize is good for the older ones. If you google free phonics games there are plenty for the younger ones to use. My eldest is 9 so she has done a lot of reading on her own. Both had had spellings set from school so at times I've just had them write out and practice the words themselves, at least that's something they can do on their own. Then between the hours of 3pm and 5:30 pm I must admit they have had too much screen time, but I don't know what else to do. We can only do our best, and for me the priority is they are healthy and feel safe.

Talk to the school and see what they can suggest to help, they may be able to:

Sort out some days in the hub so that you can get a bit more time with each child.

Set work or at least sign-post you to activities that don't require you to sit a d go through things. EG if two could watch an educational video could you sit with the other (does the baby nap?)

Arrange for log-in details for educational games like TT rockstars or Literacy shed so that the children can use those to build skills without too much supervision.

Arrange for staff members to ring or have 1-1 sessions on TEAMS with your children each day to do things like hear them read and explain things they don't understand.

Lend you additional technology to make the logistics easier.

Sorry this is so difficult for everybody, I hope your school come up with some support for you.

Your 10 year old is old enough to manage to read, do some maths, maybe a worksheet by themselves. Or MyMaths etc.

The middle 2, what age are they? My 7 year old will sit and colour in for half an hour or so, even colouring in is school work as its pen control, maintaining those muscles etc.

Even getting to 10 year old to read to the younger ones is good. Don't try and teach them, just maintain their current levels if possible. A family book to read each day might be good, something like Matilda that will interest them all.

Also stuff like going for a walk and doing science, spot signs of spring, signs of the weather. Baking is science, why do cakes rise? What happens when you mix different colours of food colouring etc.

It's very difficult to home educate and recreate a classroom environment at home but you can teach them things and make it fun. My ds was feral over summer BUT his reading improved, general knowledge, local knowledge from walks etc. Maths we did with his spending money and time. Science was growing things and planting seeds.

I don't have as many kids as you and it's hard!
I start early about seven or eight, very small chunks of tasks and then finish for the day at lunch how I got through last time.
So..... Breakfast. Least liked work first, in our house maths. Everyone do four pages of workbook or teacher sent worksheets. Reward is toast and jam. English worksheets or four pages of workbook. Then, something educational on tablet for 20 mins equals 20 mins free time reward on tablet, giving time to deal with another kid. You could rotate these tasks if you have four kids. Then, project work including something not writing like art,but also with some writing but in disguise like labelling a giant poster of body organs. I took the topic from school and then padded it out with video clips, play doh models etc.
Lunch, walk. I try and do some work! They hopefully tired enough for play or TV.
Also get paid for chores with a chart and a goal of some Lego and make them do ridiculous jobs like scrub the outside of the bins so you get a minute.
Reading aloud when dinner is cooking, or at bedtime.

Honestly you get through tons in a morning if you do small chunks.

Also, could you make a competition between the three children. So they get a point for each piece of "work" they do without help (keep your expectations simple here, watching a video, playing an interactive game, building a model or filling in a simple worksheet all count here) then the "winner" at the end of the day (or week if you prefer) gets to choose a prize.

Lots of star charts to reward specific activities or behaviours (eg get a point for the daily walk, a point for completing your worksheet without a fuss, a point for asking questions, a point for entertaining the 1 yo while Mum helps a sibling - when you have ten points you get a reward (small chocolate treat/ choose a film for the family to watch or a game for them to play together - something that makes them feel special). They will love the structure it will give them if you can work it right (persist if there are early rebellions and make it positive not negative). Don’t be hard on yourself, even reading at bedtime, doing some baking, watching an educational show will be good. Get your eldest to watch some extra lessons on Oak Academy website if the work from school is too much/too little/not helping their learning.

Thanks so much everyone, all really helpful advice. My middle ones are 6 and 4. Just so worried that they will all be so behind :(

Also, would the ten year old sit with your youngest (school age child, not the baby) and do things like listen to them read or go through their work with them? Not all the time but maybe for half an hour a day that you could use to sit with the second eldest.

Do you have board games? These would be great for building the whole family's skills, again ask school if they have any that they could lend you.

I have 4, my eldest is 10 too. DTs are 5 so will also have to be home-schooled this time round. I ended up setting our own schedule especially for the eldest. Worksheet generator for writing/ spelling practice x1 a day, you can put in your own words or generate common words. Ditto worksheet times table practice. Nessie practice (dyslexic) Dance mat typing. 1 oakbank academy lesson normally maths. Choose 1 activity from seesaw.

Sounds a lot but he could get it done in the morning and if completed got the afternoon for choosing time, initially it'd take us to 5 o' clock to do two tasks but within a week he was hammering through. Actually came on a lot during lockdown. Print off worksheets the night before for organisational ease, have spare ones ready for the I can't do this moments when you are busy. Train them up to submit their own work to school.

Good luck!

Yes we have loads of board games @Christmasinjune, good idea! and I will ask eldest if he can put his teacher hat on and help out a little with the younger ones :)

I dont have a printer but I suppose I could ask school to print plenty off for me, and we could go and collect them :)

I think it will be impossible to do the school work in your situation (I say this as an ex teacher who loved homeschooling last time).

They are going to have to do the work independently which means it’s going to need to be slightly easy for them. I’d get some workbooks and make it manageable (so age 5-7 if they’re 7 or 3-5 if they’re 5 etc.). So it’s something they can do without help. Give rewards for completed work.

The main thing is to keep them in the study habit. They don’t need to learn anything new.

At 10, 6 and 4 I wouldn't worry a huge amount.

Sit down first thing in the morning and do some maths and some English with the 10 year old. Read with the 6 and 4 year old, ideally a book they can both have a go at. Play games, lots of games.

The 10 year old you just want to keep in good routines. The 6 and 4 year old have more than enough time to catch up long term.

Whee is the dad? He is not helping?

Remember the 4yr old wouldn't be doing formal learning in many countries. Don't get obsessed with completing set tasks, just spend the days in worthwhile ways- cooking, looking at plants/puddles/nature, sorting things and talking about size.

At 4, a lot of schooling is about language- maths language, science language. Sorting the clothes by size, looking at the labels, putting them 'on/in/behind/under/next to' the table etc. Playing I spy so they hear sounds. Play board games so they 'count on' etc.
Save formal support for the eldest.

I was a teacher. A lot of formal learning is done the way it is because it's 'mass' teaching of groups. Quality time doing real tasks and play with children is really educational in its own right.

He passed away.

I would not worry about following exactly what school are setting.
I would treat them like a class all together, and bake, read, draw, put on a play.
Don't try to set them up individually.
Good luck with it- it sounds full on!

Might I suggest reading a book called Free Range Education @MrsFluffyMuff?