11 Online School Tips & Tricks for a More Organized You
Have you found yourself struggling through online learning with your kidos. What a challenging time this is for our kids and for us as parents. I have a senior, and it is enough to break my heart. I homeschooled for years, so I have always been organized when it comes to doing school at home, but online learning with my high-school boys and helping with my grandsons is far more challenging than when I was completely in charge. Although I can’t offer any tips on getting your first grader to listen during Zoom, here are a few things I have found helpful as we are coming into the second semester of online learning here in Washington State.
1. Always plug in your child's device at night. Always. There is nothing like having a dead device and a Zoom call in five minutes.
2. Label each child's device and charger with their name. This will save time. Also, consider having a designated space for chargers to keep from misplacing them. That is never a good thing. I know this from experience.
3. Gather all the pens, pencils, crayons, markers, colored pencils, scissors, rulers, index cards, tape, and other go-to items from around your house and put them in jars close to where you do school. This will save frustration when a project is happening on Zoom or an assignment needs to be completed. It is amazing how much stress it can relieve to simply have the item you need right there. This may even lead to spontaneous art projects.
4. Go ahead while you are gathering the writing utensils and sharpen all the pencils and colored pencils. This will save time and frustration later. Maybe make this a fun weekly chore for one of your kids. Who doesn’t love to use the electric pencil sharpener?
5. Designate a place in your fridge and your pantry for school snacks and have it stocked if possible. Quick break = a quick snack = a happy child. A 5-minute refueling break can save the day before they head back to their Zoom calls. Just like at school, have their water bottles filled and close to them. This will help them to remember to hydrate and save you dirty dishes and spills.
6. Take a few minutes each night to plan breakfast, lunch, and even dinner for the next day just like you would if your children were going to a school building and you were heading off to work. Again, thinking ahead will relieve stress. Crockpots and instant pots can save the day!
7. Get up 10 minutes earlier than you think you need to. I know you are exhausted, but for me, I would rather be five minutes ahead than five minutes behind any day of the week. Give yourself the gift of a 10-minute buffer.
8. Have a printed schedule of all Zoom calls posted in a clear location. Perhaps color code it for each child. You can simply use highlighters for this.
9. Drink your water. Seriously. When I am freaking out, I tell myself to go drink water. Most of the time, it slows me down and helps me focus.
10. Believe you have what it takes. Step outside, close your eyes, and take ten deep breaths. It is going to be okay.
11. Hug your babies even if they are 6’4”. They just might hug you back.
These simple steps can help make your day a little bit smoother. We are all working hard to get through this, and I don't know about you, but I would rather spend my energy taking a few steps to get myself organized than spend my time frustrated and still have to do the job at a frantic pace. You have got this! You are amazing.