PRINT ARTICLE

Print    Close This Window
Question 11: What are some ideas for a schedule to keep my children on a routine while they are home?
Here are some examples of what our teachers are providing for their own children at home:
 
Idea 1 (submitted by high school English Teacher; mother of 4, ages 8, 11, 14, and 17)
Depending on age, either have your children come up with their own lists, or write a list for them on the following categories: 1) good for their bodies, 2) good for their brains, 3) good for their home/space, 4) good for their happiness, and 5) good for others. Then I made the VERY general schedule of:
Monday-Friday
8:00--Everyone awake
8-9--breakfast, get dressed, family meeting if necessary
9-10--Do something good for your brain (they pick from their list unless there's something I want everyone to do)
10-11--Do something good for your body (their list--outside if at all possible)
11-12--Do something that makes you happy
12-1--lunch as a family
1-2--Quiet time: read/write/nap/reflect/stare at a wall/listen to music
2-3--Do something good for others
3-4--Do something good for your space/home
4--Like after school---watch TV/play games/ dinner/conversation/etc.

Idea 2 (submitted by Kelly Simon, Director of Curriculum; mother of 3) 
Survive.
Parent to parent, I want you to know I take my job as Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment very seriously. Education is vital. However, during times such as these, my situation is this – my own three kids (15, 12, and 9) haven’t touched a “typical” educational tool or lesson yet. My husband and I are both still working outside of the home, and right now, my children’s jobs at home are two things: don’t kill each other and don’t burn the house down. Here is what I know – they are not really okay right now. They are quiet and confused. They are scared and anxious.  They do not need online lessons right now; they need us to come home and be a mom and a dad. They need us to share lessons of kindness we experienced throughout our day. They need us to admit this is hard. We will pick up the rest as a stronger, more loving family when the time comes.
 
Idea 3 (submitted by 1st Grade Teacher; mother of two, ages 6 and 9) 
We do 20 min of reading/math in the morning and afternoon.
Other activities we have done:
Made cards for nurses people in our neighborhood
Wrote positive messages with chalk on driveways (thanks snow)
Game day
Beach day
Livingroom camp out
Craft day
Cooking class
Alexia show/Skype family and friends
Write a letter to ourselves about this time
Dance
Go for a walk
Play what's in the box
 
Idea 4: (submitted by high school Math Teacher; kids ages 14 and 17)
Schedule idea 
 
Idea 5: (submitted by high school Music Teacher; kids ages 5 and 9)
8-4 watch TV and argue over the remote, periodically hide the remote so the other brother can get mad
9, 10, 10:30, 10:35, 11, 11:07 ask for a snack 
before noon       get dressed (probably)
noon                    not each lunch because we're full
12:07                   ask for a snack
1-3                       make a mess and get yelled at for making forts literally everywhere
2-4                       ask for snacks and eat constantly
2:45-3                  bug the dog
3-4                       spread Legos throughout every square inch of the floor
anytime              dance party
before 10 p.m.  go to bed and try again tomorrow
 
Idea 6: (submitted by high school Special Ed Teacher; kids 11th and 8th grade)
-try to keep a similar sleep schedule.  Go to bed and wake up around the same times as you would during a school week.  Refrain from staying up too late/sleeping in.
-limit time on video games/cell phones during the time of 8:00-3:15.  
-eat as you would if we were in school and around the same times.  
-do some form of activity or exercise daily.
 
Some things we are doing...
-Spring cleaning one room a day
-playing board games/puzzles/cards
-have them create a menu/make the meals for a day
-view a movie or new series on Netflix.  We are currently watching the "Trials of Gabriel Fernandez".  
-discuss the news and obviously the Covid-19 situation.  
-read something new.  Can be a book, magazine, blog, etc.  
-go on a virtual field trip.  I actually am going to check out the San Diego Zoo.  
 
Idea 7: (submitted by high school teacher; 4 kids in grades 4, 6, 8, and 9)
As much as this whole situation is scary, unpredictable, and unfortunate on many levels, it is also exactly what my family needed. Going from constantly being on the go, running from one practice/game/tournament to the next, having something going on 7 days a weeks with no time to take care of things at home or eat a meal as a family, to now having nothing, has been a blessing in disguise. 
 
Once my older kids stopped freaking out about not being able to get in a gym to practice or get in a weight room to lift, I saw them accept the situation and start to relax. This is the first time in as long as I can remember that they haven’t had pressure placed on them to perform, practice hard, put in work outside of their practices, and I’ve never seen them so happy. They are interacting with each other as siblings, laughing, fighting, helping each other out with projects like cleaning/organizing their rooms, and being creative. We have eaten as a family more this past week than we did all last year, and it has been wonderful.
 
I’m sure there will come a time in the next few weeks where I’ll feel the need for a schedule, but for now, I’m letting my previously over scheduled and stressed kids enjoy their newly found freedom to do, or not do, what they want. I am keeping busy by repainting rooms, organizing closets, cooking, and doing all the things that I haven’t had time to do. My kids often offer to help, and we work on things together, but they are also keeping themselves busy doing things they enjoy.
 
I truly believe we will all come out of this better and stronger. I know my kids will be ready to get back to sports and busy schedules when the time comes, but for now I’m letting them enjoy taking a break from being athletes, and am just letting them be kids. Whether that’s the right approach or not, I don’t know, but it’s working for our family so far!
 
Idea 8 (submitted by 3rd Grade Teacher; mother of 5th grader and 3rd grader) 
6-7:30 Electronic Time
7:30-8:30 Breakfast, Shower, Brush Teeth
8:30-9:00 Animal Chores and Physical Activity
9:00-10:00 Informative Netflix or Online Tour-with a follow-up writing(write 3 facts you learned)
10:00-10:30 Reading
10:30-11:30 Free Time
11:30-12:30 Lunch and Clean-up
12:30-1:00 Art or Science (usually online resource)
1:00-1:30 Writing/Journaling(write 3 gratitudes included)
1:30-2:30 Physical Activity/Time Apart
2:30-3:00 Snack and Clean-Up
Night: chores, reading, games, movies, electronics

Idea 9 (submitted by Kindergarten Teacher; mother of kids in 5th grade, 3rd grade, and kindergarten) 
I give my kids a new list everyday. It can include a house work job, reading, math, writing, physical activity, and hub. When finished with their list, they usually go play outside or in the house. I haven’t made it hard time consuming work because we do a lot of family time!
Schedule idea

Idea 10 (submitted by 5th Grade Teacher; 2 kids; college and 4th grade) 
Physical Activity: video, walk, bike, etc
Quiet time: read, meditate, listen to music
1 inside House chore: clean room, do dishes, vacuum, etc.
Learning: math, reading, writing, or other learning activity
Lunch
Fun Time: Art, craft, game, baking
Online fun: virtual tour, virtual book, fun youtube video, prodigy, EDM4, etc
Outside Time: rake, play catch, let out dog, sweep garage, play basketball, etc.
Screen time: phone, tablet, TV, movie on a rainy day
Dinner
Family Activity

Idea 11 (submitted by 4th Grade Teacher; 2 kids age 5 and 7)
Wake up, breakfast, and free play
8 Outside chores
8:30 Reading time
9:30 PE/Music/Art/Yoga/Library
10 Snack
10:15 Math time
11:15 Recess
11:45 Lunch
12:15 Read Aloud
12:30 Quiet Time
2 Online Zoo or virtual tour
2:30 Creative Play
3 Daily Chore
4 Recess
5-8 Supper/Family Time/Free time

Idea 12 (submitted by Kindergarten Teacher with 4 kids ages 6 and under)
I tried structure...for one day! My kids don’t listen! Not giving up, we’re back for round two this week!! We got this!

Idea 13 (submitted by school Counselor; 4 kids ages 6, 5, 3, 6 months)
7:00 Wake up, Dress, Eat Breakfast, free play
8:30 Story Time: Read aloud, sometimes they read or look at books (depending on the baby)
9:00 Movement/Outdoors/This is flexible depending on weather Indoor: dance party, YouTube PE and movement videos, yoga, bikes in the basement, gymnastics,
10:00 Snack/Free Play
10:30 Arts and Crafts/Clean Up
11:30 Read/learning Activities: Activity books, Pinterest finds, spelling their names,
12:00 Lunch
12:30 Quiet time/Naps/Rest
2:30 Outside (If nice) Inside- sensory, play doh, coloring, puzzles, baking, books, games, free play, scavenger hunt
Evening Outside as long as we can, Dinner, baths, books, show dad everything we did from the day, tv time, computer time, they love ABCYA and other activities on the HUB, Movies and popcorn fluency and fitness, author reads, gratitude, self reflection (what went well today, what is something I want to work on for tomorrow ((mom and dad share too)).)
 
Disclaimer: This is a very fluid schedule, some days its all free play and technology, but the kids and myself do thrive on some type of routine and expectations. We spend a lot of our days talking with each other, playing, picking up, trying out new activities. The kids especially love arts and crafts! My first grader loves structure and keeps me on schedule. We are working on our flexible brain! Usually while I’m making lunch is tv time and then in the evenings. My oldest, who no longer naps, reads during rest time. I play relaxing music for my 5 and 3-year-old during naps. I also keep relaxing music in my kitchen throughout the day to help center me. I clean during nap time as well as do something for myself, usually a F.R.I.E.N.D.S episode or 5!
 
Ideas throughout the day: = Zoo webcams = Lunch with authors or live reads with authors = Reading from space = Learning activities books, read and then draw a picture from the book = Arts and crafts: dot painting, painting, cutting construction paper, notes/pictures to mail to family.