Our Tatler friends keeps it real by sharing their own unique experiences on the subject, giving us an unfiltered glimpse on what happens behind closed doors.
We've heard people say that being a mum is a full-time job, but what happens when we add one more job role on top of that? With students around the country staying at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, parents suddenly find themselves filling in for teachers and making sure that their kids education continues.
Not an easy task to say the least. With extreme community quarantine and social distancing, families are confined at home and separated from any form of support group, community networks, friends, libraries, play grounds, parks, and so on. Add to that, feeling enormous stress from the current situation, fears and uncertainty sprouting daily amidst the pandemic, it's understandable how a seemingly simple homeschooling task can be too overwhelming. But as some of these inspiring mums shares with us below, this long pause has also given their families an opportunity to nurture their relationships with one another, gave them a chance to explore, to veer away from standard schooling practices, to seek more creative learning resources, and rid themselves of unrealistic expectations. Read below as these super mums exchanged notes on their learnings and shares their cheat sheets too!
Amanda Griffin-Jacob
4 Kids
Kieran, 10
Kalon, 7
Lila, 5
Kyle, 1
How did you prepare for homeschooling?
I decided that our dining room would be their classroom because of the long table (and access to the kitchen-my sons want at least 6 snacks during the day!) I bought 10 Ikea blackboard posters to write the day’s schedule for each child. I knew we needed some kind of organization to guide us through each day. Very early on I realized this setup only worked for my 7 and 5 year old. My eldest needed to be on his own, away from the distractions and noise that my younger kids get up to. Luckily, I already had a desk and chair that he used for homework, so we moved this into the living room, outside of my husband’s “office” (which used to be his man cave where he deejays), so that Dave could keep an eye on him throughout the day.
What has been the biggest challenge for you?
My biggest challenges so far have been keeping the younger two engaged and interested in their school work. My second son is particularly difficult to motivate so I always feel like pulling my hair out when I’m his teacher. I never wanted to home school my kids as I knew I didn’t have the unending patience required for it.
How would you describe your teaching style?
In general, I let my kids go at their own pace. Sometimes, I do get into scary headmistress mode when I see them monkeying around for too long, but I believe they need to be able to have fun during the day.
What's your advice to other mums?
My advice is to not let home-based learning get to you. There’s a reason you put your children into school in the first place. Teachers are trained professionals who believe it is their calling to teach. I know I’m never going to be able to fully emulate the classroom environment and optimise that kind of learning. I’m using these circumstances to really spend and cherish the quality time with my children. It may be pandemonium most days, but it truly has been a real gift to be able to simply be with them without any pressing commitment, schedule, or agenda.
