As many parents kept their kids home from school today due to the increase in cases of COVID-19, there were a couple of colourful and cheery ‘home school’ timetables doing the rounds.
One particularly helpful daily schedule by US-based photographer Jessica McHale went viral after being shared over 10,000 times on Facebook.
Mia Freedman’s thoughts on coronavirus. Post continues below.
While the idea of segmenting your day in such an organised way seems appealing – I couldn’t help but wonder how many parents would be able to seriously maintain Jessica’s suggested level of structure when many of them will also be working.
Also, because they have real actual children, not compliant TV advert children.
Jessica’s daily schedule starts at 9am with a lovely morning walk in the fresh air, which sounds fantastic.
For most parents, getting out of the house to do anything involves repeatedly yelling, ‘get your shoes on NOW!’ for 17 minutes before arguing about why we have to leave.
No child actually wants to go for a walk unless it is to the car in the garage that proceeds to immediately deliver them to a friend’s house or to Timezone (currently out of bounds anyway with all the social distancing and hygiene rules).
‘Academic time’ as listed by Jessica starts at 10am and runs for an hour. This seems totally reasonable and probably quite doable for parents of one academically-minded child or two kids over the age of seven.
I have a nine-year-old who would certainly give it a go and a three-year-old who certainly won’t. Therefore, I will be managing my three-year-old for that hour and for the following ‘creative hour’ while simultaneously trying to work.
There is only so much colouring-in, Lego and playing ‘dinos’ I can handle but I guess I’ll give it my best shot.
The reality here is I fold after twenty minutes, put the kettle on, inhale some biscuits and mother-guilt behind the cupboard door, then put the TV on for the kids.
