1. Order a cardboard house (and water-soluble pens)
Amazon is still there for us … luck! So we first ordered a large cardboard house to paint. Building, painting and playing the first few hours in it took at least a few hours. Of course, it does not solve the problem in the long term, but it is like the virus: the first thing now is to save time so that the warehouse freak does not immediately hit us.
2. Structure, structure, structure
After a pretty nerve-wracking weekend, Monday came and the insight: Without structure, this would not work. With three children and only one caregiver in the home office, it looked like this:
– Around 8.30 a.m. everyone must be dressed for breakfast
– From 9.30 a.m. to 12 p.m. is time for learning, painting and educational television. Mom can work in peace.
– From 12 o'clock is lunch break. We cook together, make a great dessert and then we go out. Luckily we have a garden … At 1 p.m. the children continue playing in the home office. If they bother little, they get killed 3pm the tablet and make one:
-Online course on Youtube. You can watch handicraft and painting videos and take part.
– 4 p.m .: Mom is finishing work, really. Now is family time.
Of course, this is just an example and very much depends on the age of the children. With toddlers under 3 you can forget this plan …
3. Small challenge
Have you ever practiced the cup song with a mug? No? Let's go! Children are pretty good at it and have a great sense of achievement. While the little ones are practicing, you can at least answer a few emails. And then you practice as well! Because the cup song is most fun when several can do it in the house.
4. Long live the "if-then principle"
Educators may think it's stupid, but we stay afloat with the if-then principle. If you don't mind during the video conference, you can watch a round of Checker Tobi. If you don't complain at lunch, there is an extra amount of dessert afterwards. This is easy on everyone's nerves, because the rules of the game are clear.
5. No time for really big pedagogy
Speaking of the rules of the game … the normal ones don't apply at the moment. Screen times, outside times, fruit salad instead of chocolate … so many pedagogical maxims are just neglected. As long as you make it clear to children that the world will eventually turn back to normal, everything can be different now. True to the motto:
"Until when can I watch TV?"
"Well, until April 19"
6. Make your children heroes
Nothing beats positive psychology. In Spain and Italy, children make posters on which they write their heroic order, namely: "I stay at home" or "I keep the curve flat"
The feeling that the children become little heroes with all this renunciation makes them stay more positive. From around 8 years old, children can wonderfully explain the curve thing with Corona. We don't have so many doctors and beds that we can let the curve get too high. By staying at home, we all become PJ Mask's pajama heroes in real life! 🙂
7. Video chat with friends
Children also need contacts. Phoning is still difficult under 10 years old, so why not use video chat to add your best friend when painting, handicrafts or anything else?
8. Be realistic
No, parents will not be able to work concentrated for eight hours straight. Employers know that too. So we prefer to be heroes of pragmatism rather than high-flyers. You can't expect too much from yourself, especially with small children. So give up and work one hour more concentrated in the evening than go crazy for two hours in the afternoon …
9. Small surprises sweeten everyday life
As I said: Amazon remains (still) loyal to us. How good that you can order small preschool books or special pens. It doesn't have to be expensive. A letter from your grandmother or a delicious ice cream in the afternoon can keep you happy when you want to climb into the basement. It's not easy for all of us … so let's sprinkle a few sugar pearls over everyday life.
10. Educational television is not television (let's just say that …)
Yes, television is not a good thing. At least not if it's too much. That's why we put Checker Tobi, the show with the mouse, YouTube tutorials and documentaries in a category other than television. Self-deception? We do not care! We refer to points 5 and 8.