Well, also going crazy between video conferences, emails, tantrums and lunch nagging? We are completely with you … and have collected 10 ideas on how the child-and-job disaster works a little better. All tried and tested!
1. Order a cardboard house (and water-soluble pens)
Many local dealers have online stores … lucky! So first we have one large cardboard house to paint and pencils ordered. The assembly, painting and the first few hours of playing took at least a few hours. Of course, it won't solve the problem in the long term, but it's like with the viruses: The first thing to do now is to buy time so that the warehouse fever doesn't hit us immediately.
2. Structure, structure, structure
After a rather nerve-racking weekend, Monday came and the insight: it doesn't work without structure. With three children and only one carer in the home office, it looked like this for us:
– Around 8.30 a.m. must all appear dressed for breakfast
– Off 9.30 a.m. to 12 p.m. is learning, painting and educational television time. Mama can work in peace.
– Off 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. we continue in the home office, the children play. If they don't bother them much, they'll be killed 3pm the tablet and make one:
-Online course on Youtube. You can watch and participate in handicraft and painting videos.
– 4 pm: Mama is going to call it a day, really. Now is family time.
This is of course just an example and depends a lot on the age of the children. With toddlers under 3 you can unfortunately forget about 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 practice, you can at least answer a few emails. And then you should practice too! Because the cup song is most fun when several people in the house can do it.
4. Long live the "if-then principle"
Educators may think it's stupid, but we keep our head above water with the if-then principle. If you don't bother during the video conference, you can watch a round of Checker Tobi. If there is no nagging at lunch, there is an extra lot of dessert afterwards. This is easy on everyone's nerves, because the rules of the game are clear.
5. No time for the very big pedagogy
Speaking of the rules of the game … the normal ones don't currently apply. Screen times, outside times, fruit salad instead of chocolate … some of the educational maxims have just been overturned. As long as you make it clear to children that the world will turn back to normal at some point, everything can be different now. True to the motto:
"Until when can I watch TV?"
"Well, until April 19th"
6. Make your children heroes
Nothing beats positive psychology. In Spain and Italy, children make posters on which they write their heroic mission, namely: "I'll stay at home" or "I'll keep the curve flat"
The feeling that the children become little heroes with all this renunciation makes them stay more positive. From around the age of 8 you can wonderfully explain the curve thing with Corona to children. 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 Masks pajama heroes in real life! 🙂
7. Video chats with friends
Children also need contacts. Telephoning is still difficult under the age of 10, so why not join your best friend via video chat while painting, doing handicrafts or something else?
8. Be realistic
No, parents will not be able to work concentrated for eight hours at a time. Employers know that too. So we would rather be heroes of pragmatism than job high-flyers. You can't expect too much from yourself, especially with small children. So it's better to give up and work concentrated for an hour 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 are there order small preschool exercise books can or special pens. Doesn't have to be expensive. A letter from grandma or a delicious ice cream in the afternoon can keep the mood up when she's about to climb down into the cellar. It's all not easy for all of us … so let's throw a few sugar pearls over everyday life.
10. Educational television is not television (let's just put it this way …)
Yes, television is not good. At least not if it's too much. That's why we moved Checker Tobi, the show with the mouse, Youtube tutorials and documentaries into a different category than television. Self deception? We do not care! We refer to points 5 and 8.