Are you one of the many parents homeschooling since schools closed? Do you have a sharpened sense of respect for the teaching profession? Are those long summer holidays teachers enjoy looking less of a perk and more of a necessity?

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Well, fear not, here are some homeschooling tips for stressed-out parents.

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1. Get into a routine

By now, as you’ve probably established, you have to set at least a rough timetable.

 

It’s tough when the 10-year-old gets up at 6.30am as usual and the 12-year-old rolls out of bed at 10am, but try to stick to a routine. Otherwise, the day ends up shapeless and people are still eating cornflakes at 11.30am.

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Would they do this if school was open? No, they would not.

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2. Do some PE
Next, get those little ones’ hearts pumping.

 

Joe Wicks has taken the nation by storm. He hosts an online PE session at 9am every school day on his YouTube Channel The Body Coach and, by lunchtime, Wednesday’s had been viewed more than 1.7m times.

Just try not to be jealous of his pristine living room.

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3. Make a timetable
Now let ‘the learning’ begin. Start off with subjects that your child likes the most and once they have got going, sneak in bits they don’t like. Teachers advise you to break it up and not to try to do too much at once.

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4. Get the right resources
Of course, there is a wealth of teaching materials online including Scoilnet, School Days, and Twinkle. For even more websites to entertain and educate your kids, click here.

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5. Be creative
Make your own word searches, particularly around a topic they love. Get them cooking – it teaches numeracy, motor skills and patience. Encourage them to paint or draw something for a relative they cannot see, or plant some seeds and wait for them to grow.

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6. Make snack time fun 
Set up a tuck shop. Give your pupil a set daily amount to spend and make healthy items cheap and sugary snacks more pricey. They’ll learn to manage their expenditure and stop pestering you for sweets.

Remember, treats are vital to break up the day.