With most of our children transitioning to remote learning in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, it can be overwhelming to keep your child engaged all day as well as provide educational learning opportunities. You may start to feel disappointed or guilty that you are not doing “enough” or enjoying the time you have with your children. A daily schedule can provide routine, security, and control in times of uncertainty.

Here are the first steps to get you started. Consider:

1. What do you want your child to do during the day?

2. How much time does each activity take?

3. How much support will your child need for each activity?

4. Do you need any materials to complete the activities on the schedule?

Once you have determined what activities you would like to complete during the day, you can decide what you want it to look like. For children who do better with a routine, keep each day similar. If your child is more flexible, feel free to vary each day’s schedule.

Here is a sample activity schedule with expectations included:

For little ones, use pictures and shorter activity blocks like this one:

Post the schedule somewhere easy to refer to. Remind your child to check the schedule and provide a lot of praise when they are engaged in the activity. This will help you and your child focus on what is going well.

There are a ton of free printable resources so you can tailor your schedule to your family’s needs. One example can be found at this link. We also want to encourage you to give yourself and your family grace during this time. The expectation should not be to become a homeschooling parent or a teacher. Focus on accomplishing what you can and take as many breaks as needed. It is more important for your children to spend time with you than to focus on academics only.

Should you have any questions, concerns, or need help in any way, please reach out to us at www.collaborativecorner.org.

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