Character First

"To educate a man in mind and not in morals is to educate a menace to society." (Theodore Roosevelt)

So one thing I'd like to mention early on-ish, is that there are days when we don't address very much academically. Some days, we just have to focus on character (or "heart") issues.

A dramatic change in schedule and norms is naturally going to result in some behavior issues--not to mention, hearing scary words thrown around like, "pandemic," and, "quarantine."

When this happens (and it will happen), may I suggest that you don't worry about school for a little while? Take a few days to just build into your relationship with your littles. Love on them. Play what they like to play. Let them help you with the necessary jobs of daily life together (If you're really worried, you can call it a "home economics" day). 

All my ideas and gameschooling and low-prep lessons are an attempt to help you create what I call,

"gentle learning," that is, a learning style where they absorb massive amounts of knowledge in context without feeling like it's SCHOOLWORK. But if your kid is not in a teachable place because of fear, anger, or some other issue, it might be time to step back from your master checklist and do a little prep work--like when you amend your soil prior to planting. Teaching will be so much more effective if their little heart is receptive!

A few of our favorite ways to back off the school work and create opportunities to address the heart include: 

• Any activity together.
  Me being a part of any activity that is their idea is always an open door to having good conversations. Jumping on the trampoline with them, playing a game, building with blocks or dominoes, sitting with them in the sandbox and engaging in their play, even just reading that irritating Star Wars book AGAIN by request--all these make them feel heard and important and help begin the healing process so we can have good communication.
• Go on an adventure.
  When we have a terrible day at school, I generally unplug everything and take them on a trail they've never been on before (or at least, not recently). Sometimes we'll drive up to the mountains and explore; sometimes just a trail near our house. But being outside always resets and recharges all of us and when we get back, we're all ready to apologize and communicate and rebuild. The key is to do something OUTSIDE.
• Bake cookies (or something) together.
  I am a LITTLE bit of a control freak when it comes to...well, everything, but cooking especially. I don't love cooking, and I hate the mess, so cooking with kids? Yikes. But my kids LOVE baking cookies, and when we do that together and I just embrace the chaos, they always talk about for DAYS, and, of course, they have cookies!
• See if they need space...or closeness.
  Sometimes the best way I can encourage a frustrated child is by giving them space, whether from me or a sibling. Sometimes I need to just stop and cuddle them. Sometimes it's really hard to tell which is needed! But, and this is important, movies or electronics have ne-heh-hever been helpful. I don't know why, it seems like movies, tablets, whatever, just exacerbates the issue. I think it has something to do with the isolationism that happens when you're on a device. (This is purely anecdotal conjecture, obviously.) 
• Follow their lead. 
  One of my littles needs major playtime when he's in a bad place. Another thrives off of singing or dancing together. The other needs to tell me things (...so. many. things.). Sometimes you just need to find their love-language and speak it, or let them speak. Sometimes they need extra love given to them, and sometimes they need to feel that they can show YOU love. I know this is a vague sort of tip, but just let go of the behavior demands and schedule for a quick quarter hour, and just see where they lead you. It might be quite eye-opening as to the root of the problem!

I hope these ideas help, and remember that this list is by no means exhaustive. The big point I'm trying to make is to value the healthy development of their characters--to weed out vices and train in virtues. Academic accomplishment is meaningless without the character to back it up!