1 task a day then 1 none school but learning task

[TiredandMoreTired]

DD is 6 year 2. I’ve posted previously about us struggling. I am trying desperately to get her into a routine.

For context DD has hypermobility and is suspected to have dyspraxia and/or ADHD/ADD.

I spoke to her teacher about our struggles and she said to do 1 school related task a day, preferably the English or Maths task or 2 shorter ones. Total time around an hour, then do 1 or 2 none school related tasks that enhance DDs learning.

So AIBU to ask you for ideas?

DD doesn’t like baking, or playdo or anything messy. We’ve done a couple of walks but she’s not easy to get out of the house if she doesn’t want to go (top floor flat no lift too heavy for me to carry and it’d be pretty dangerous even if I could as the stairs are quite narrow).

So none messy none outdoor activities that in her teachers words “do not undermine her school work”

DD likes drawing for short periods of time, so I’m going to get her to do a cartoon/comic type thing (even if it takes her a couple of days).

She sits still for about 5 minutes if I’m lucky, so need to be activities in short bursts. She does have a tablet but I am trying to limit screentime as she struggles to come off it to the point that I end up wrestling it off her so trying to limit it.

So throw ideas at me? Please

Link to previous thread: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4129453-To-just-give-up-and-survive-only?msgid=103465919

Drawing tutorial?

This is completely off the wall but my boy has hypermobility so maybe not totally crazy. Do you think that the stairs are the issue? My boy visibly limps if he does more than a couple flights of stairs. Would she scoot down on her bottom and then be willing to go out? Hypermobility, I find, does make things like walks awkward

@Heartofstrings

This is completely off the wall but my boy has hypermobility so maybe not totally crazy. Do you think that the stairs are the issue? My boy visibly limps if he does more than a couple flights of stairs. Would she scoot down on her bottom and then be willing to go out? Hypermobility, I find, does make things like walks awkward

She was born with hip dysplasia so you might be onto something there, I might try that thank you

My eldest also had ASD and ADHD. This time he is managing school work, but he didn’t do ANY during the first lockdown.

Instead, we watched photography tutorials on youtube then went outside to try out the techniques we’d learnt. He loved it. Worth a try?

Try here www.activityvillage.co.uk/summer-learning-hub-slh lots of ideas for each primary year.

Have you tried painting or sewing?
Try touch typing - typing club is free
Play doh not overly messy or sticky
Beads or threading

Would she enjoy some simple science experiments? Baking soda and vinegar, skittles and warm water, a walking rainbow, maybe some simple circuit making, a potato clock, testing toy cars on different surfaces to learn about friction, freeze a few small toys in water and get her to rescue them. Does she like Lego? You could do all sorts of things with that, make pyramids and chat about mummies, use a big board to make a maze etc
You can’t plant a few seeds, even just herbs on a windowsill or cress because it grows quickly. Maybe some audio stories even if she is busy playing while they are on.

Lego and puzzles? Reading? Even some tv is good like storybots. It's so hard, I'm really struggling this time, they just don't want to do it and I don't want to fight them

With dyspraxia a number of things that others might think were fun won't be as they will be hard to achieve good results.

You could try

• board games
• large hamma beads
• collage / things with stickers
• balloon tennis

I'm also a great believer in star charts as they can be very visual indicators of progress and thus motivation.

Both puzzles and lego were absolutely DIRE for my DD with dyspraxia!

So frustrating for her - couldn't visualise how to turn pieces to make them fit, and with lego couldn't follow instructions, or manipulate the small pieces.

These are some of my ideas for my family, something might be of use for you:

Learn something from YouTube:
First aid
Sign language
Yoga
Japanese
Zumba
Meditation
Politics

Family activities:
Treasure hunt
Build biggest tower
Build Lego maze
Deign and build an obstacle course
Write and perform a play
Draw a map of our local area
Write a postcard to a friend
Paper airplane challenge
Play guitar

There are also lots of zoom ‘classes’ that might be of interest, magic, science, art and so on.

Love some of these ideas, she can't do lego very easily but does enjoy it if I build it. But I could build her a maze and she could guild a lego man or a marble round it, she'd like that!

She loves cosmic yoga so I will try and do some of that.

Treasure hunts are good idea too, smarties would be a good treasure for her.

She doesn;t really like anything messy. Playdo she finds too sticky and won;t touch it, so she'd hate any science experiments that might get her wet or sticky, she hates baths to the point I've taken to strip washing her and using dry shampoo as my neighbours complain it sounds like she's in pain and being murdered in the bath -I've tried different temperatures, bubbles, no bubbles, she just does not like it.

Writing is a good idea, she has a great grandparent who lives a distance away who'd love to receive her cards and pictures even if very simple! And who doesn't like to post letters?

Thank you so much everyone, so brilliant ideas. I'm really excited to do some of these now.

Physics experiments don't need to be wet or sticky.

Dropping things to see what lands first.
Rolling toy cars down slopes or on different surfaces.
Rolling balls into each other at different angles (like snooker).

Puzzle books: dot to dots, mazes, word searches

Making up sentences alternate words with you and trying to make the longest one possible and not finish the sentence.

Watching the schools broadcasting on CBBC

I'd try to make going out daily pretty non-negotiable with a reward when home/out (e.g. chocolate buttons, tablet, stickers)

@TeenPlusTwenties

Physics experiments don't need to be wet or sticky.

Dropping things to see what lands first.
Rolling toy cars down slopes or on different surfaces.
Rolling balls into each other at different angles (like snooker).

Puzzle books: dot to dots, mazes, word searches

Making up sentences alternate words with you and trying to make the longest one possible and not finish the sentence.

Watching the schools broadcasting on CBBC

I'd try to make going out daily pretty non-negotiable with a reward when home/out (e.g. chocolate buttons, tablet, stickers)

She literally will not go even the offer of a reward, she will stand at the top of the stairs across them and block them to stop me going out and I'm worried if she steps backwards she'll fall all the way down. She also does the same with the door and there's just no way to get her safely out of my block. I've threatened to take her TV time away, offered a reward of sweets/chocolate/crisps but she will just say she doesn't want that stuff she wants to stay in. If it's raining there's no chance of her going out at all.

Should add I follow through and take the tv/toys away and she's not bothered she will sit on the floor doing nothing.

Can you do an emotions thing with her about why she doesn't want to go out?

Scared of outside due to virus
Scared of falling down the stairs
It hurts to go down stairs
Doesn't like feeling the cold / wind
Outside shoes hurt as they are now too small
Too tired after to climb back up the stairs
....

@TeenPlusTwenties

Can you do an emotions thing with her about why she doesn't want to go out?

Scared of outside due to virus
Scared of falling down the stairs
It hurts to go down stairs
Doesn't like feeling the cold / wind
Outside shoes hurt as they are now too small
Too tired after to climb back up the stairs
....

Thats a good idea, I'll try that thank you