Staying at home with your kids can be a challenge, especially when you have to get your own work done. We wanted to make it easier for you by providing you with tips and tricks to make staying at home with your kids simpler for both of you.
At Yellow Brick Road Early Childhood Development Center, we wanted to help make this strange time simpler for our parents and children. If you are choosing to stay at home with your kids during this time, there are certain things you can do to make it go smoothly. Read on for some tips and understand what staying at home with your kids actually looks like.
Create A Schedule
A schedule and routine are important for your children to have. It helps them understand what tasks and activities will be done every day and what is to be expected of them. Creating a schedule that they can follow can make it simple for your children to stick to a routine. While you can simply write down that schedule for your children, a picture schedule can help your younger kiddos who may not be able to read yet. Use images you find on the internet or draw pictures for your children to color in!
This schedule should include basic daily tasks including getting dressed, brushing teeth, eating breakfast, and so on. It is important to set up the schedule to allow for you to get your tasks done as well. Adding a playtime for an hour and setting up a toy for your child to play with in their room will give you time to do some of the work you need to get done during the day. You can also schedule time for our Facebook Live sessions for some distance learning. During these times, you could work on your own stuff as your child learns with us!
Some other activities that you may want to add to your schedule include:
- Naptime
- Lunchtime
- Snack time
- Reading
- Outdoor play
- Dinner
- TV time
- Bath time
- Getting ready for bed
- Bedtime
Creating a visual schedule with your children can be fun and help them stick to a routine that will make staying at home with them simpler. If you want to keep your kiddos on the same schedule that we use at Yellow Brick Road, you can find them here!
Set Expectations
The point of the schedule is to set expectations and to help keep your child on a regular routine. You can create a schedule and change that schedule based on when you need time to yourself or time to work. Make sure that your child knows where they need to be playing or where they will be doing certain activities during those times. If your child is old enough to play without your supervision, you can have them play in their room while you work. By creating a schedule that your child can follow, you can help them know what is coming throughout the day and what they are meant to do during this time.
Set Up a Station
Setting up a station to help your kids stick to the routine can help, especially with younger kids. Set up a table or a play mat with toys, blocks, or whatever they are working on or playing with. For really young kids, this may be right next to your desk so that you can keep an eye on them while they play and you work. They may also feel more comfortable playing on their own when they are next to you. Setting up a station can also help minimize the toys that are scattered around your home. Each day pick a few things for your child to work on or play with and set it up for them at their station. For younger kids, it is common for them to get bored quicker, having multiple toys for them to play with right there can make it easier to keep them entertained throughout the day.
Hopefully, these tips help make staying at home with your kids easier. We know that this can be a challenging time, especially when trying to balance work and kids at the same time. Be sure to create a fun visual schedule with your kiddos that they can follow and that helps them stick to a routine. This will make the entire situation easier for both of you.
Be sure to contact Yellow Brick Road Early Childhood Development Center with any questions you may have. We are happy to help!
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