The coronavirus pandemic has left a lot of parents panicking about how on earth to make sure their children keep learning during lockdown.
One mum-of-seven, who has been home-schooling her brood for four years, has shared her advice to help parents feel more confident caring for their kids in quarantine.
Kristen Schroder, 35, is a stay-at-home mum from Mississippi. She’s had seven children in just eight years and began home-schooling them four years ago, sharing her experiences on Instagram with more than 140,000 followers.
A typical day starts at 9am, shortly after breakfast, when the children spend an hour learning before taking a short break, then resuming study. The rest of the day is spent playing or reading.
Kristen believes that just one to three hours of dedicated study can be far more effective than a long day of learning.
‘Neither me nor my husband were home-schooled,’ Kristen says.
‘Home-schooling is my vocation – calling me to love and take care for my husband and children. I could best fulfil this calling by starting at home.
‘I have seven little ones all aged eight and under. There are no twins. They’re just close in age. If you count pre-school with my eldest, we’ve been home-schooling for four years.
‘Our children are also involved in music lessons, sports clubs, and even a home-school group where we can meet other amazing children and parents.
‘One of the most challenging things is having little ones around who also need your attention.
‘I’ve learnt that getting someone’s help in the morning – such as a family member or babysitter – works best. It allows me to focus on the needs of the older children.
‘I really enjoy getting to know my children and spending time with them. That’s not to say that there aren’t days when I don’t consider how nice it would be to go to the grocery store without them in tow, but I just love having the kids around.’
Kristen advises parents to appreciate the time they’ll be able to spend with their children while the schools are closed, encouraging them to take a relaxed, flexible approach to an education schedule.
She explains: ‘We can home-school when and where we want to. We can move through the curriculum as fast or slow as we want to.
‘If the kids decide they are really interested in something mid-year, we can add in a unit of study at the time that they are actually interested in it and will retain what they learn.
‘If we have friends or family visiting from out of town, we can set the school work aside and work on relationships. These are far more important that book-learning anyway.
‘The children have some friends who go to public or private school. Sometimes they’ll ask if they can come over and play and I’ll reply, “They are still at school”. They always say, “Wow mum. That sure is a lot of school”.
‘They love the freedom of being a kid.’
One of Kristen’s biggest tips is to get rid of the pressure to have a traditional nine ’til 3 day of learning, as she believes kids only really need between ‘one and three hours of sit-down school work per day’.
Far more important, she says, are ‘playful activities and connection’.
‘You are not attempting to recreate a school at home,’ Kristen says.
‘Playful activities and connection are the most essential things you can provide your child with.
‘In home-school, a mum has eighteen years to teach her children all they need to know. It doesn’t need to be done on the first day or even in the first year – or a few months during this pandemic.’
To all parents preparing to home-school their children during the pandemic, Kristen advises thinking of this time as an opportunity for connection.
But don’t feel pressure to make everything perfect. Relax and enjoy spending time with your kids.
‘These times we’re going through give you the opportunity to form close relationships with your children,’ she notes. ‘This helps you get to know their learning styles, personalities, and to form memories that will last a lifetime.
‘Try to focus less on their academics and more on their character. Very few adults remember maths formulas and verb conjugation, but values and morals will stay with them their entire lives.
‘It’s important to read to your children. One of the best gifts you can give is the world of imagination, knowledge, understanding, and experience that books offer.
‘Home-schooling is hard. It can be a thankless job where the reward doesn’t show until many years later. Prayer and faith are both so essential.
‘There will be weeks that feel like they’ll never end. There will be moments when you doubt if the kids are learning enough.
‘One of the most beautiful things about home-schooling is the flexibility. If something isn’t working, you can change it.
‘Most of all, enjoy being with your children. They grow up so fast and you do not want to miss them.’
Do you have a story to share? Do you live life in an unconventional way? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.
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