Captain’s Log: Star Date: -302785.89…
It feels like my post should start something like that (yes it’s a minus date because that is supposedly the correct Star Date for today but actual Star Trek Star Dates don’t start until 2323 or something like that. I guess it would be like 100BC being -100AD! I have too much time to think at the moment!)
I woke with a headache this morning and was worried that it would wreck my day. I have a data entry task to get done and with the schools closing tomorrow for a while, I need to get it done so that I can “teach” Jaxon/knit in the background while he does activities.
I’ve seen posts about scheduling and others about just taking the day as it comes. This one was on FB but I’m not sure who posted it originally so can’t attribute it (but will if someone can point me in the right direction).
My advice for any parents wanting to homeschool during the school shut down – don’t. It’s going to be stressful. If things get worse you’re going to be stressed, your kids are going to be stressed. Your kids might be scared of things they’ve heard or seen on TV. Arguing with your to do work is not what anyone needs right now. Instead, cuddle up together and read, read, read. Take turns reading. Read them your favourite novel (yes, you can read novels to kindergarten age kids). Do a puzzle. Build a fort. Bake. Watch TV together. Paint. Get out the Lego and build together. Set up a tent in your living room and camp out. Look at photos of when you were a kid. In other works. Don’t stress about them forgetting. Don’t stress about homeschooling them. Just spend time together. Your kids won’t learn much if they’re feeling stressed. Though this is a scary time, it could very well be a time they remember as the best time in their life.
The schedule could look a little intense but then when you see that so much of it playtime or outside time that it soon isn’t as intense. For instance, 7-9 am Get Ready is kind of what we do anyway. If Jaxon’s had a good day the day before he gets his school uniform on and then snuggles in bed with us and gets iPad time for an hour. We then come downstairs and have breakfast – we then leave for school at 8:30 am and I get back home around 9/9:15 am having dropped him off. So that 8:30 – 9 am slot will become free time or maybe an extension of Active Time. There’s no reason why we can’t go for a walk around the block or through the local woods and then come back and play in the garden some more.
Rather than sticking to it rigidly, I think I’m going to use it as a guide and then see how our days go – as Anna (Mrs Brimbles) commented in her video yesterday – some days are focused others are pyjama days but they get through them.
I’m fully expecting that next week could be a complete muddle while we find our way and what works for us. My job for today/tomorrow is to also make sure the kitchen table is clear so that we can use it as a “school” area rather than trying to do worksheets sat on the sofa and things like that. It also means that if I do have things to do I can sit one side of the table while Jaxon sits the other.
After posting my blog post last night, I finished this cardigan. It had been all knitted but needed sewing together and having it finishing touches like the ribbons. Now I need to try and get it to the recipient (or at least the “collection point” for it to go onto the recipient).
Later today…
So although I was self-isolating, our friend still came to fix the fence panels for us which was great. I just stood at a distance and minimised contact as best as I could – getting the panels fixed could be essential to stop the boys trying to play with each other if the schools close (which they are rumoured to do).
Jaxon and Chris worked together to sort tea for me which was very lovely. I was presented with a handful of liquorice allsorts too. After starting these socks back in May 2019, at the Lemon and Ginger Knitting Group they were high on the priority list to get finished. I was irritating close to the finish so just had to do it! I learnt a Kitchener stitch from YouTube (this one stops the little eats apparently). So I put them on to take a photo of course and get very excited that I had actually finished another project! Time for the next one…
