This resource is for parents and children who will be working from home and homeschooling kids over the next few weeks due to COVID-19. Here is a link to the original open access google doc that will be updated as new information is added:
Survival Guide for Work From Home (WFH) Parents with kids at home too (open source)
With schools closing to support efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19, parents are now rapidly switching gears into full-time parenting plus full-time work mode. This is an open-source doc to gather ideas for those attempting to stay sane working from home, while also keeping the kids productive / entertained / not get into too much trouble 😉
Please add the resources and ideas below!
Parent needs
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- Management support – Align on expectations with your manager/employer. Make sure to share your situation with your manager and ask for their support as you balance kids at home.
- Stay calm, we got this – take some deep breaths
- Flexibility – talk to your manager/team about flexible hours. If you have the luxury of a two-parent household and a workplace with flexible schedules, you can try trading off across the day, or set up “shifts” – e.g., one parent takes 8a-3p, while the other takes 3-10p. Check out some of these other ideas.
- Prep meals/snacks for yourself and the kids ahead of time so you don’t have to cook midday.
- Involve the kids: If your kids are old enough, involve them in cooking, doing chores, coming up with ideas for activities, and being a contributor to the household
- If you children were given a chromebook and are using
- Self-care
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- Make time for the basics like using the bathroom and eating (schedule these in if needed!)
- Exercise – this could vary from setting a workout routine to taking breaks to stretch and walk around.
- Create your space
- Set up a functional workspace
- Identify what recharge time looks like and how to carve it out (eg get outside, deep breathing, journaling before bed, a glass of wine while someone else watches the kids, etc)
- Set boundaries / expectations
- Other resources
Kiddo stuff
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- Create a routine for the kids (and for you!)
- Examples
- Daily schedules for students ages 4-18 from Khan Academy
- Schedule and activities (BIAS behavioral)
- Schedule courtesy Jessica McHale
- The plan for “Daddy school”
- Other ideas from Rachel Young
- Ask your kid’s teacher for their schedule
- Why routines are useful
- If a detailed schedule is unrealistic for your situation:
- Aim for set wake up / bedtimes, and set meal times
- Consider how much screen time is acceptable
- Think about big blocks (learning time, eating time, play time, etc)
- Iterate and experiment what will work for your family
- Examples
- Create a routine for the kids (and for you!)
- Free educational resources for kids:
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- Khan Academy
- List of educational resources being offered for free (K-12)
- Amazing Education resources for kids at home (big list!)
- Scholastic Learn at Home – projects organized by grade
- Swing Education: 20 Online Learning Resources
- Modulo’s list of online resources (broad set incl UK resources like BBC Learning and Seneca for GCSE+A level, plus STEM resources like Nat Geo & comp sci)
- E is for Enrich (woman of color owned program for preschool activities)
- Health Education Prompts for home-schooling for Non-traditional Instruction:
Elementary School
Middle School
High School -
Free activities for kids
- Video chats
- With family and friends
- Ask other parents from school if the kids can video chat with each other so the kids can stay connected with their school friends
- Outside ideas: biking, hiking, sidewalk chalk, fly kites
- Giant list of ideas via princess awesome and boy wonder community
- Toddler and preschool
- LEGOs: All ages! Watch LEGO Masters for inspiration.
- Make a book or journal: Take a few pages (staple, fold, compile into binder). Ask kids to design covers; give daily prompts to draw or write.
- Set up a “work from home” station for kids to emulate parents working from home. Challenge them to draw, paint, color or “work” on play laptops with one another for the duration of a 30 minute call.
- Virtual tours / field trips
- 30 virtual field trips
- Home Safari with the Cincinnati Zoo (3pm EST daily starting 3/16)
- Museum virtual tours
- Podcasts for kids (common sense media)
- Storyline online – actors read children’s stories
- 50+ would you rather questions (ages 6+)
- STEM projects (ages 9-10)
- Raspberry pi projects
- Board games for kids (Wirecutter article)
- Story pirates podcast
- Yoga for kids (cosmic yoga)
- Music and dance (GoNoodle)
- Learn a new language (Duolingo, ages 10+)
- 20 Screen-free activities (Saved You a Spot)
- Fun Science (The Fab Lab)
- High school
- Fiveable – for AP students to study together (live reviews, trivia battles, study guides)
- Video chats
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- Paid educational resources
- Outschool – live, small group classes
- Teachers pay teachers – tons of resources for all grades created by teachers
- ABC Mouse Early Learning Academy for preschoolers. 30 days of free access!
- Paid educational resources
- Mental wellness for parents
We can all help flatten the exponential curve that this pandemic may be bringing by following guidelines for social distancing. Here is an article published by the Washington Post that explains the importance: Why Outbreaks like Coronavirus Spread Exponentially, and how to “Flatten the Curve”
