Are you wondering how to survive online learning for your kids right now? I can tell you, we barely survived the first week of online learning in our house. It’s been rough, so I understand how you feel.
Lucky for you, I’m going to give you a few survival tips to get through this unprecedented time of navigating online learning and all of sudden becoming a teacher to your kids, instead of just their mom.
Before I jump in, first let me tell you about something a little more fun than the struggle of online learning. Trust me, you will love my Get It Free Checklist!
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Survival Mode
Today I feel like I’m just in survival mode. How much can I squeeze into my day when my kids are not at home? The worst part is trying to figure out what to squeeze into my day when they are not home before I have to go and pick them up again.
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Can you believe it took me a full 90 minutes to pick up my kids from school on the first day? 90 minutes! That’s a long time – especially when I’ve just spent the last 6 months on an extended pandemic spring break, and I’m trying to enjoy a day of kid-free stress. I was not happy about spending an hour and half in my car waiting in long lines outside 3 new schools to pick up my kids.
The crazy thing about this is that each school is less than 3 miles from my front door! The pick-up lines we ridiculously long! I’ve never seen it this bad before, and do you know why? Kids are not carpooling, and the bus is not running in our area, so there are ton more cars, even though there are half the number of kids in the schools. It’s truly nuts.
This is what happens when your kids only go to school 2 days a week in-person without their friends. I mean, how do you carpool with your neighbors when your kids and their kids don’t go to in-person learning on the same days?
It’s crazy!
Season Of Struggle
Truly, this has been, and continues to be, a season of struggle.
Do you agree?
I’m curious to know what your school schedule for your kids look like this year?
Our school schedule is a little weird this year. It’s called Hybrid Learning. They go to school 2 days in-person and are home 3 days for online learning. By no means is it perfect. It’s far from that.
It’s really a struggle.
Scheduling Conflicts
We all are happy they get to go to in-person school at least 2 days a week, but it comes with it’s challenges. Pick up and drop off being one of them. Plus, the schedule at home is a constant flip-flop.
On their in-person days, they have to get up much earlier to get to school on time. Their at-home learning days, I don’t want them to get up super early, because then they finish school too fast and I’m left feeling like I have to entertain them for the rest of the day.
Whether your kids are at school full time, or hybrid learning, or even being homeschooled or doing 100% eLearning, whichever boat you are in, I’m sure you can relate that this season of our lives is tough. If you are anything like me, I’m sure you are wondering how to survive online learning.
Before I give you a few tips to survive online learning, make sure you snag my Get It Free Checklist!
How To Survive Online Learning
Let me give you a few tips on how to survive online learning and this season of struggle:
1. Take Care Of Yourself
Take Care Of Yourself – living through a season of struggle is hard enough – so take care of yourself. Get plenty of rest, eat healthy, and exercise. If you don’t already have a consistent workout routine, get in the habit of one as soon as you can.
Even if it’s as simple as taking a 20 minute walk around your neighborhood every morning, it will help. Take your kids with you! My kids know that they have to burn some energy every morning before school starts on their at-home days.
It helps them focus better on school and it helps me be a better mom. Rest is also key both you and your kids. If you don’t get rest you can function at your best.
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2. Prioritize Your Day
Prioritize Your Day – make a list, stick to it. If you can’t get everything done, at least get the most important things done.
If you are wondering how to set up a quick and easy schedule, read this post: Easy Stay At Home Mom Schedule – Save Your Sanity!
3. Give Yourself Grace
Give Yourself Grace – cut yourself some slack when you don’t get everything done, or when it’s not done perfectly. There are so many things to balance right now, the last thing you need to do is beat yourself up when you don’t get things just perfect.
4. Consistency Is Key
Consistency Is Key – Be consistent with your schedule, even if it looks different on in-person days versus online days. Show up, do the work and be consistent.
“Everything you want is waiting for you on the other side of consistency.”
I stumbled upon this quote on Pinterest the other day and it really resonated with me. Day after day it will get easier and you will find a rhythm. Consistency is also key with making sure you get adequate sleep, and exercise. Be consistent and you will feel so much better – plus you will get a lot more done!
5. Be Flexible
Be Flexible – While planning is important and consistency is key, not everything is going to work out just like you plan. Go with the flow when you need to, and be flexible! Chill out, and don’t let the changes to your schedule put you in a bad mood.
I will say, I’m not a flexible person. I try to be, but I love to be in control and when things happen outside of my control I get really frustrated. I’m working on being flexible too and I know you can as well!
6. Laugh – Everyday!
Laugh – Everyday! The best antidote to stress is to take a minute to laugh. I know life is stressful and super hard right now. I feel it. The stress is awful! Take a moment to laugh! In our house, we ask Alexa to tell us a joke and it’s usually hilarious! We all start laughing and the tension is lifted – at least for a while.
If you don’t already have an Amazon Echo Dot, get one! We love ours! It’s great for streaming music from Pandora during your online learning days. For us, that’s worship music – and not the boring kind, but upbeat music.
One of our favorite Pandora stations is Holy Water Radio. I usually say, “Alexa, play We The Kingdom on Pandora” and it plays this station! It’s not too loud, and not boring, but a good mix of worship music that helps put my kids in a better mood without interfering with their school work.
7. Find the Good
Find the Good – Stop focusing on the obvious – all the hard stuff. Instead, find something good in each day and choose to focus on that. If you struggle to find something good in the day, find something good about a person – focus on it and then tell them! You will not only feel better, but you will be blessing them.
8. Offer Grace To Your Kids
Offer Grace To Your Kids – Just remember, your kids are stressed too, so offer them tons of grace. They are having a hard time navigating this new normal, just like you are. They need our grace, much more than our negativity.
9. You Set The Tone
You Set The Tone – Your attitude sets the tone for the day. If you are acting upset, frustrated, or stressed out, your kids will emulate that. Try to emulate excitement for the day and what they will learn and then help them figure it out.
10. Take Breaks!
Take Breaks! I firmly believe our kids need breaks – a lot, and so does mom. When you feel the tension rising in the room, take a break. Have a snack or go outside. Take a quick walk or play catch or frisbee for a few minutes. Get out some chalk and draw for 10 minutes. Anything to break the tension and give the mind a break.
11. Reward Good Behavior
Reward Good Behavior! I believe in rewarding our kids for good behavior! Not that they always need a reward, but rewards are fun parts of the day to look forward to.
One of my daughter’s favorite teachers was big on rewarding good behavior in her classroom, which usually equated to kiss. Not a real kiss, but a Hershey kiss. She would give them a kiss when they were doing what they were supposed to be doing.
The kids in her class loved it! When my son was lucky enough to have her as a teacher a few years later, he would save his kiss the entire day. He wanted to show it to me first, before enjoying it, because that’s how proud of it he was! She was an excellent teacher and I think she was on to something.
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Kids love rewards. So give it to them! I like to keep special treats in the house that my kids love like Hershey’s Miniatures, OREO’s, Twizzlers, and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. A piece a day is a great way to reward good behavior!
I know online learning is hard and trying to survive online learning is even harder. It’s hard for me too!
I’m walking the same road as you are and am so proud of you! You are one amazing mom! I know you can not only survive online learning but can thrive!
I’m here, reach out if you need some prayer! Plus, I’d love to know your school situation. Comment below and tell me what school looks like for your kids. Are you homeschooling? Hybrid, in-person, or completely online?
Other Posts About Thriving In Choas
- How To Survive During a Quarantine or a Pandemic
- It’s Ok For Kids To Be Bored – Even Healthy!
- Potty Training Sanity Savers For Moms
Want to remember this post? Pin this post, How To Survive Online Learning – Tips For Moms, to your favorite Pinterest board right now!
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