5 Ways to Help Develop a Routine, 6 Resources for Helping Parents Deal with this Pandemic and 7 Ways to Stay Social through a Time of Social Distancing

3/24/2020

Shannon Sheffield, Christian Life Team, Landmark Christian School

We are experiencing unprecedented times and are all facing a “new normal.” To help navigate these uncharted waters, we are providing encouragement and resources for elementary school, middle school, and high school parents to help at home, as well as providing fun ideas for time together as a family. Please know that we are praying for your family and we are here to assist you.

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We are experiencing unprecedented times and are all facing a “new normal.” To help navigate these uncharted waters, we are providing encouragement and resources for elementary school, middle school, and high school parents to help at home, as well as providing fun ideas for time together as a family. Please know that we are praying for your family and we are here to assist you. Please reach out to us. Provided below are strategies that are simple, yet effective, and include additional links for resources. The topics are: 5 Ways to Develop a Routine, 6 Resources for Helping Parents Deal with this Pandemic, and 7 Ways to Stay Social through a Time of Social Distancing. We would be happy to answer any of your questions and hear what is working for your family so we can share your success with others in our Landmark Christian School community. You may share photos and captions to socialmedia@landmark-cs.org.

A key component in learning is the development of a routine. Our students provided feedback that they are having difficulty at home with time management. It is important to keep things as normal as possible but also with the realization that a “new normal” is necessary. A routine will help establish a schedule and provide time management. Below are five ways to help in developing a routine.

5 Ways to Help Develop a Routine

1. Use a whiteboard.

Include a daily schedule for everyone in the family or make a list of goals to accomplish for the day. Some families are creating a “quarantine bucket list” - things they want to accomplish during the quarantine time.

2. Set parameters of where schooling will take place.

Find a location for learning that is free from distractions and designate the space as school use only. Use the space consistently for the greatest success.

3. Use a planner.

Use the “Daily Check List” sheet for students to print and fill out each day. You will find the Daily Check List here.

4. Use a timer and set times for breaks/fun time.

This is a stress-filled time for our children and they need to decompress.

5. Be consistent!

6 Resources For Helping Parents Deal With This Pandemic

1. Focus On The Family

This link has a plethora of resources from how to talk with children about the pandemic to daily devotions and fun activities to do with your family while quarantined. www.focusonthefamily.com

2. The Next Right Thing Podcast with Emily P. Freeman, #119 “How To Help Your Children Make Decisions”

https://emilypfreeman.com/podcast/the-next-right-thing/119/

3. Helping Children Overcome Anxiety, a podcast with counselor and author Sissy Goff

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/helping-children-overcome-anxiety-sissy-goff-m-ed-lpc-mhsp/id1477541494?i=1000465935585

Sissy Goff’s book Raising Worry-Free Girls is also an excellent resource.

4. Gabe and Rebekah Lyons’ podcast, Rhythms For Life, is an excellent resource with additional podcasts.

5. Article from Cultural Translator, “14 Things To Do With Your Teens If You’re Quarantined.”

https://info.axis.org/blog/14-things-to-do-with-teens-if-youre-quarantined-for-covid-19

6. An excellent resource from Ministry to Youth about helping youth deal with fear and uncertainty is found here:

https://www.ministrytoparents.com/FearsParentCheatSheetYouth?inf_contact_key=917142d058ac9ae524f88db4a61f9fa3&inf_contact_key=0bfbf9d91f3e74b0d91882dceddad433d18a532c4142cb79caf2b269de1401fa

7 Ways To Stay Social through a Time of Social Distancing

1. Family Time

Board games

Puzzles

Bike rides

Picnics in your backyard

Cooking/Baking: have a contest like Chopped

Reading a book together

Listening to a podcast

Movie Night

2. Facetime/Zoom/Google Hangout with Friends as well as relatives
3. Old Fashioned Phone Calls: Elderly family members who are not as technologically savvy would really appreciate these!
4. Handwritten letters/cards to family members, friends, teachers, etc.
5. Chalk Your Walk: Leave chalk notes on your sidewalk/driveway for your neighbors.
6. Serve Others: Even in times of quarantine, you can find ways to serve - write letters to servicemen/women, make cards for those in nursing homes that are not allowed to have visitors, clean up the street in your neighborhood, etc.
7. Have a family scavenger hunt. Share the pictures with others.

Divide your family into teams and give a reward to the winning team. You may also include a virtual contest with other families and race to see who completes the hunt first. Set a timer and when it goes off the person/team with the most items collected wins, etc.

If you participate in a scavenger hunt we would love to see your pictures! Please send those to socialmedia@landmark-cs.org with the subject area “Family Scavenger Hunt.”

Indoor Scavenger Hunt

1. Find something that begins with the letter T.

2. Find something blue.

3. Find a coin.

4. Find a battery.

5. Find something that is soft.

6. Find something that floats.

7. Find a book.

8. Find something from the 1980’s.

9. Find something that contains a famous quote.

10. Find a flip flop.

11. Find something smaller than a penny.