Like most people who begin home educating I started with big dreams, I would be able to concentrate on both children, target what they struggle with them and make it so much fun, we would fit in four separate lessons, I will teach and learn Spanish at the same time, be able to do P.E and sports but not the boring ones the fun things they want to do to keep them active and be able to do arts and crafts projects and groups they can go to for interaction with other children.

Before I knew it I was constantly surrounded by random papers, project forgotten about, trying to prep lessons late, and being so exhausted the next day, I couldn’t think, don’t even get me started on trying to also fit in cooking cleaning washing and general housework.

I felt like a total failure I had bitten off more than I could chew, and we all wound up unhappy from it, the kids were always rushing from one thing to another, getting stuck on things so one lesson would cut into the next one, I was starting to lose my patience and bit by bit my sanity.

Which I am sure during this pandemic lots of other parents/guardians are going through the same thing, my first suggestions is relax, your going to run yourself and your child/ children out, take a week off, which I know may seem like a loss of time but trust me here you need it and so does your child/children.

Do fewer lessons during the day focus on two main topics and then at least one fun one, I recommend maths and English and alternate science. Also, every opportunity is a learning opportunity, they go to the park and see a family of swans teach them about habitats, how chicks hatch, how swans grow.

You go to the shops to buy food, hello fun maths lesson, money management, you to the art gallery they have a favorite art piece, that can be art history and English.

Be kind to yourself, even though it may take weeks for them to be able to understand that one problem in maths or English, no teacher would have the amount of time dedicated to just one child as you are doing now and when they finally get it there are few things that feel as good as their pride and yours at the hard work you dedicated to it.