Hello current or future parents,
One of the most common question which I am asked as a mother of three is "aren't your kids bored during this quarantine?"
Here is my answer. The word "bored" was always "banned" from our house. From day one, as soon as they able to speak, if they told me "I do not know what to do," I would say "that means you have to tap into your imagination and creativity a bit more."
"Should I remove all the books, craft supplies and games in the house?"
Their immediate response would be "No, Mama. I can find something."
And then they would find, on their own, something to be involved with.
Because of this foundation, our children have been independently coming up with their own projects along with their homework during the no-school, stay-at-home period during social distancing. My 15 year-old is reading, writing a few novels and practicing her piano and clarinet. My 13 year-old is reading, creating her own short movies, painting, animating. My 7 year-old is reading, playing piano, painting, and just recently wrote down all the countries with their capital cities in a book she made on her own. We provide the tools, paints, canvases, brushes, resources - they provide the creativity. We go on walks outside together, they girls are cooking more often and helping with the chores.
Have they watched more movies during this time? Not more than they usually do during the school year. My 7 year-old has not watched any movies. My teens have watched perhaps two or three Harry Potter or anime the past 2.5 weeks.
Our typical day looks like such
7 am Wake and breakfast
8:30/9 am Home school
10:30 Mama works while they independently read or write/math practice
12 Lunch, sometimes walk
After lunch: free time
4 pm Help with dinner
5 pm Dinner
Sometimes evening walk
7:30 Seven year-old gets ready for bed
10 pm Teens go to bed
Mom and Dad sometimes work until midnight
The day is not that long - so they take advantage of all their minutes!
In short, parents, do not have to provide all the creative solutions when they are "bored" - they can figure out their own activities. And later in life, you and they will be thankful that you let them.
Tuesday, March 31, 2020
Monday, March 30, 2020
Tuesday, March 24, 2020
Monday, March 23, 2020
Things to do with Kids during Social Distancing
Hi Everyone,
Unprecendented times - in our lifetime here.
For parents with kids at home, let's take this opportunity to strengthen their core competency skills in other ways, on top of the online traditional schooling. Here are some examples from my kids' lives right now:
1) Take turns cooking a meal.
Have the children plan the meal from finding the recipe and ingredients. Yes, even my seven year old can wash vegetables, mix & knead dough, Throughout this process, have a discussion at dinner on how the ingredients were grown, from which country and how they ended up at the table.
2) If not already, post a map of the world by the dinner table, so during mealtimes, kids and parents can have discussions about the world, cities, geograph, where difference animal live. Below is a picture of our map by our dining table.
3) Assign each child some household chores or what I reframe as "family contributions" on top of cleaning their room. Examples for our kids are listed here. Seven year-old: swiffer the floors, set the table, empty the dishwasher, dust, fold laundry, rake leaves. Our 12 and 15 year-olds: vacuum, wash dishes, laundry, clean the bathrooms, shovel snow, walk the dog.
4) Encourage independent schedule-making after their online schooling, such as when to practice their instruments, practice another language (duolingo), learn something meaningful new on their own (through youtube), create art projects, reading, walking or running outside with social distancing.
5) Discuss how a virus spreads and why we are all social distancing.
6) With social distancing, take a walk or bike ride together, everyday.
7) Do not leave the news on.
More details of these ideas soon to follow!
Unprecendented times - in our lifetime here.
For parents with kids at home, let's take this opportunity to strengthen their core competency skills in other ways, on top of the online traditional schooling. Here are some examples from my kids' lives right now:
1) Take turns cooking a meal.
Have the children plan the meal from finding the recipe and ingredients. Yes, even my seven year old can wash vegetables, mix & knead dough, Throughout this process, have a discussion at dinner on how the ingredients were grown, from which country and how they ended up at the table.
2) If not already, post a map of the world by the dinner table, so during mealtimes, kids and parents can have discussions about the world, cities, geograph, where difference animal live. Below is a picture of our map by our dining table.
3) Assign each child some household chores or what I reframe as "family contributions" on top of cleaning their room. Examples for our kids are listed here. Seven year-old: swiffer the floors, set the table, empty the dishwasher, dust, fold laundry, rake leaves. Our 12 and 15 year-olds: vacuum, wash dishes, laundry, clean the bathrooms, shovel snow, walk the dog.
4) Encourage independent schedule-making after their online schooling, such as when to practice their instruments, practice another language (duolingo), learn something meaningful new on their own (through youtube), create art projects, reading, walking or running outside with social distancing.
5) Discuss how a virus spreads and why we are all social distancing.
6) With social distancing, take a walk or bike ride together, everyday.
7) Do not leave the news on.
More details of these ideas soon to follow!
Thursday, March 12, 2020
GPD4: Step One of Reflection
https://myidp.sciencecareers.org/
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