How to be a productive mom during the coronavirus crisis: Homeschooling schedule

I was getting really good at getting my little projects done while shuttling the kids around and performing my mommy duties, then COVID-19 happened. At first, I thought “I can do this. Just 2 weeks out of the norm, then back to business as usual”. Now we are looking at schools opening at the end of April if at all this year. How am I going to be productive while homeschooling my kids?

The answer is going to be different for everyone. As is true with the rest of my blog, I am not telling you what is right and wrong to do, I am simply sharing things that have worked for me. Here are some tips and tricks that may help you to get some of your stuff done without sacrificing your children’s education.

Get in the right mindset

As I have said before, I knew that I was going to have to juggle mommy duties and remodeling my house, but this is way beyond having a sick kid home for a couple of days. This is not about juggling anymore. Now I need to set appropriate expectations for completing my remodel and adjust my life accordingly. For me, I no longer can spend 50% of my time as mom and 50% as handy man(dy), and I have to accept that before being able to adjust. This does not mean I am dropping everything to homeschool the kids. That would be sacrificing my sanity. Instead, I am adjusting my focus and finding creative ways to continue my work.

Set a schedule

Setting a schedule is essential if you want to get anything else done other than educating your kids (which is a lot by itself).

Here is an example of a morning schedule I use.

And here is the time that I get to do things other than instruction.

So now I have about an hour and a half to get other things done. I know that doesn’t seem like much, but I am used to getting my work done in small chunks. An hour and a half is like gold to me!

Here is a great website to help you set up your own schedule. Also, Khan Academy has a really good example with access to courses for your kids too.

To help me stick to the schedule, I use my phone alarm. Did you know, on the iPhone, you can label alarms to match your schedule?

Go to your clock and add an alarm.

Select the “label” section, and name it part of your schedule.

Now you have your schedule right in your phone and a reminder of the transition times.

I have to use my alarm to avoid getting wrapped up in other tasks. It sucks having to put down my hammer or whatever tool I am using, but it is what it is.

Prep, prep, and more prep

The school materials

Having a plan is great, but we all know things rarely go as planned. For my kids, transitions are tough and their attention span is not nearly as long as it should be.

I have found that it is easier to overcome these difficulties if I have prepared the materials or necessary equipment ahead of time. This may involve staying up an extra hour at night after an exhausting day, but it truly does make the day go more smoothly.

Lunch and snacks

I know it sounds silly to pack a lunch when you are staying at home, but having snacks and meals prepared allows you to easily transition to meal/snack times without wasting any time.

Mommy materials

I’m not talking about a glass of wine, though that may be tempting at certain points in the day. It is just as important for you to have all the materials you need to complete your project ready to go. That way you are not wasting time getting your materials when you could be working.

I am not saying this is easy, nor am I claiming to have it all figured out. Often, I have things planned in my head and see them going great, then I get to the lesson and it is a complete shit show. Just chalk it up to lesson learned and try again tomorrow. That is all I can do at this moment and that has to be enough.

I will get back to documenting my home remodel, but I will also continue to share information regarding homeschooling insights as well.