What will you do with your kids I’d you need to self isolate/school close

[Redredwine99]

Assuming everyone is sensible and follows guidelines to stay inside except for essential activities.
Have you thought about what you will do during the day to pass the time? Will you attempt to do a school day? Will you teach them all the things you don’t normally have time to do? Will you let them sit in front of a screen all day? Mixture of everything?

We are currently in that position (day1!) but because I'm self-isolating with a cough and my DD is asthmatic, it's near on impossible to actually do anything with them. They've sat outside my door and had a chat. I'm downloading worksheets and resources. Not sure what else I can do.

With school work, I'll help them with any assignments they have listed online. Otherwise, I'll do more "life skill" stuff...cooking, teaching 13 Yr lazy DS how to do laundry, some documentaries maybe, and taking the dog out in the fields near us. They will want screens 100% of the time, but I don't want to rot their brains if we're out long term!

Were in day 1 too. I have a cough and a slight temperature. I worked from him this morning while they finished homework. They're having some screen time now then we're going to kick a ball around the garden. I can't isolate from them, but we're all isolating from anyone else.

Alternate between school work, MineCraft, other - chess, scrabble, cooking, drawing, karate practice, cycling/walking. We live rurally so most unlikely to meet anyone else.

Maybe a bit of garden tidying & bonfire. Planting veg.

We are on day 4 of self isolating due to 3/4 of us having a cough and or low fever. Kids are primary school aged and I will attempt to bring a schedule in once I’m feeling better with a mixture of everything so we don’t go crazy

Irish here and we have been “isolating” and social distancing for a week now! I have formed a “school” routine from 9.30 - 11.30 then lunch, then we find somewhere outside and isolated for a walk/run/scoot/play. Then we come home and have crafts etc and quiet time/playtime. Dinner, evening wind down, neath and bed. I’m actually really enjoying it as it’s the 4 of us (me, dh and 2 dc) altogether and just taking the time to enjoy each other and be present (currently having quiet time so I’m mn’ing!)

We have printed out this years curriculum plan from the school website and made sure we have some 'fun' school supplies in, so:

Blank exercise books for each subject, wrapping paper and stickers so she can decorate them
A mini whiteboard
Glue sticks
Coloured paper

Signed up for Twinkl and bookmarked some good resources that fit in with the rest of this years curriculum plan

We've also stocked up on some stuff in the sales like jigsaws, craft sets and such.

Me and DH will both be working from home so will have to alternate that he works 7-3 and I work 3-10 so we can entertain DD who is 5.

Realistically she'll do 2-3 hours school work a day and the rest of the time will be play, tv, sorting the garden type stuff.

Wow you are so prepared @TorysSuckRevokeArticle50(nice name btw )!

Is your school closed or are you just thinking ahead? We took ours out today - bit of an impulse decision tbh and pretty unprepared

School not closed yet, but I’m expecting it by the end of the week.

I’ve 2 in year 11 so They’ll have revision and homework set by their teachers. I’ll be trying to keep to fixed times for schooling but not too strict.

Thinking ahead at the moment.

I figure none of what I've got will go to waste and I'd rather be able to get on with it from day 1 and build a routine quickly then end up stuck for activities with a bored, stir crazy 5 yr old running 8n circles round the living room

I've ordered a hippo bag too for garden clearing as can keep it in the shed for up to 6 months before it needs to be filled for rubbish and picked up so more flexible than a skip and no need for trips out to the tip.

@mymoonmyman2020 what years are yours in?

Have school provided any work packs?

I'm assuming school resources will be limited as they're low on staff and already busy so don't have lots of time to provide weeks worth of work for parents

Older ones can make their own timetable up. We've done this and it's been well received and they loved doing it. We've encouraged them to put in exercise, project and cooking time. One of them chose to put cooking in the lunch slot so they can eat it straight away.

My son's class is closed for 2 weeks from today because his teacher is self isolating. He is in reception. I am planning to do a bit of phonics, writing, reading and maths every day plus various other activities. If I do too much TV or unstructured time they (5 and 2) will kill each other. Today we had a 'magic' theme so we made magic potions (vinegar and bicarb), wrote out recipes for potions, played the Orchard toys magic maths game and a Room on the Broom pairs game and read various books about witches. We also did some gardening, played with stickle bricks, sticker and transfer books, made paper planes... it has felt like the longest day ever and I am looking forward to going to work on Thursday and my husband taking over for 2 days!

Our marvellous tutor has offered to make work packs up for my daughter and her siblings as school only do online stuff and she can do any subject and level, projects, set essays, research work etc. I’ll do that if this drags on but it’ll cost a bit so atm I’m just using all my home Ed resources to give them some choice of what they want to learn. I also double checked what the school’s plans were for topics this term in each subject and will aim to cover as much as possible to give them a body of work to take back into school when they go back.

Have you seen that twinkl are doing free memberships for all parents? You can download lots of activities for all ages but mainly primary. The code is UKTWINKLHELPS

We are not self isolating however my 10 year old has SAT work books, I’ve got a few history art projects, baking days, reading, on line learning etc....

Same with my 14 year old, we also have board games and jigsaws and make your own card board den...

Our school is preparing some stuff they can do online, also on Facebook a few people have shared some very good lists of online learning resources/activities used by homeschoolers, so we'd definitely do some school work. Anyone who has a "specialist subject" or is good with computers/languages/crafts/skills/experiments can do some teaching of those?

Mine play instruments too so can work on those and maybe do some playing together, also art and craft stuff, jigsaws, games... Might try to set up some Facetime/Whatsapp sessions with their friends too to keep in touch. Walks and bike rides are OK when social distancing as long as you can avoid contact with people, though not if isolating due to someone being ill. We're lucky to have some garden, so they can kick balls around or play swingball or help me with gardening.

Also hoping to do some house sorting with them - it seems like a good chance to finally get on top of their outgrown clothes and toys and give their rooms a proper tidy like we never normally get round to! And no doubt some TV, tablet, gaming, reading...

I've wondered as well whether some of the groups they are in might be able to do some online activities - scouts for example might be able to come up with some creative ideas to link up on skype or something?

Cooking's a good idea too Humina!

Hopefully a bit of school work, reading, maybe teaching them to bake (8, 10 & 11) I have thoughts on getting them to help cook, clean, laundry etc.