Tune Out to Tune In

By: Janine McKenna

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Friday, the 13th brought about a new kind of horror upon hearing that schools up and down the state of California and throughout the nation were closed.  

My husband and I broke the news to our kids that morning.  We are both educators.  It’s been our life’s work to help make school not only palatable but a place of meaningful learning within a spirited and supportive community.  So, when we told our own children (6 and almost 4) that school was closed due to the Coronavirus, I guess I was secretly hoping that they’d be bummed.  Instead, my kids responded in the same way yours likely did-- jumping up and down with the kind of enthusiasm that is usually reserved for Santa Claus or Disneyland.  

I pressed on, “But, sweethearts, you like school, right?” 

“Yes, Mom, but everyone likes a day off sometimes,” said my wise-beyond-her-years first grader. 

Whether you’re welcoming this “day off” as a way to slow down an increasingly rushed life, or you find yourself panic-stricken by the long lines and empty shelves at the grocery store, we’re all taking a bite out of this sandwich.  

Yet, the closure of schools and the near complete halt of our hustle-bustle days amidst the Coronavirus outbreak is unprecedented.  For the approximate three and a half percent of families who homeschool their children, the current situation may seem less dire, at least from an educational standpoint.  For everyone else, the mere thought of schooling our kids at home is anywhere from intimidating to downright terrifying.  However, with some thoughtful planning and an ability to adapt, the coming weeks can in fact be a time of learning and growth for us all.

Tune Out

There’s a real desire to be continuously tuned in to the 24/7 news cycle, especially in a time of crisis.  You and your children will be better off for not having the television on in the background or constantly checking apps for updates.  Do yourselves (and your anxiety) a favor; be deliberate with and limit your news and social media intake.

Refer to Routines

The Centers for Disease Control lists ways to help manage anxiety and stress during this pandemic.  Maintaining routines for your children (as well as for the adults in the home) will do everyone a lot of good.  What routines are already in place?  This is not the time to let Terri Tween stay up until midnight or Teenage Tom sleep till noon.  Stick with your regularly scheduled bedtimes and waketimes. Okay, maybe ease up on the 6 AM alarm, but you get the drift.  Predictable patterns for eating, playing, sleeping, and bathing will continue to comfort children of all ages.

Determine Technology’s Place 

Decide as a family what place technology will have in the coming days.  If you don’t, you’ll likely find yourselves each on your own device-- under the same roof but worlds away.

What guidelines already exist around technology in your home?  For instance, do you have a no video games on school days rule?  Does your school implement a phone away for the day policy where students are off their device from beginning to end of the school day?  There is no need to bend on already established rules if you don’t want to.  If find yourself needing to be more flexible than usual, that’s okay, but help your child understand that they are still in school mode even if things look a little (okay, a lot) different.   

Technology is an amazing tool that makes distance learning (and communication with friends) possible, but you’ll need to monitor your child’s use of time and tech.  Your child’s age (and maturity) will largely determine how much support and supervision are needed.  For instance, is your child “learning to read” or “reading to learn”?  The first group, your elementary school aged children are still developing their literacy and basic math skills (including digital literacy) and will need a lot more guidance than the second group—students in middle and high school.  But, don’t let your tweens and teens fool you.  They still need structure and support; their brain’s executive functioning skills (e.g. organization, self-regulation, and decision making) have not fully come online yet.  

Establish a Daily Schedule

In addition to keeping your usual routines, a daily schedule will help keep everyone on track.  This schedule will look very different from your child’s more rigid school schedule.  Your middle schooler’s fifty-five-minute periods with five-minute passing breaks, for instance, wouldn’t make sense at home.

Katie Novak, mother, educational consultant, author, and assistant superintendent of a Massachusetts school district, is posting a homeschool routine right now.  What I love about the proposed schedule is there is a lot of room for choice (true to her promotion of Universal Design for Learning), abundant physical activity, non-technology play, room to be creative, and an opportunity for everyone to pitch in around the house.  This mama gets it!  

Khan Academy has also posted a sample schedule.  Again, take note of how much time is allocated for play, outdoors whenever possible.  Use your child’s playtime, quiet time, study time, art time, Facetime, whatever time to get some of your own work in.  Find what works for you and your child and repeat.      

Reach Out

Forgive yourself when the day goes awry.  This is a stressful time, as many of you have professional responsibilities and are trying to work from home, too.  So, don’t beat yourself up if your schedule is turned upside down on day one.  Mine was.  Reflect, accept, and adjust.  

Websites like Khan AcademyNewsela, and BrainPOP can help supplement instruction but defer to the teacher’s lessons and their recommended sites first.  

Many teachers and school personnel are making themselves available via email, phone, and web conferencing.  They will be your expert guides on this journey.  Respect where they’re coming from.  Your child’s teacher can offer suggestions for pacing and scaffolding and provide feedback.  

If your child is experiencing challenges of a social/emotional nature or an academic struggle not specific to a lesson or content area, then reach out to your school counselor or psychologist.  The Child Mind Institute is currently ramping up support for parents during this crisis, including Facebook live video chats with experts, telemedicine, and flat-fee phone consultations for problem behavior.    

You are not alone; however, please exercise patience.  School closures came on as suddenly for them as it did for you.  Teachers are working around the clock trying to adapt their lessons to continue educating your children while simultaneously trying to figure out how to support their own children’s learning at home.

Encourage Creativity

Children are highly creative by nature.  They will discover ways to busy themselves if you allow them the space and time to do so.  Resist the temptation to rescue them from boredom by sticking them in front of screens all day.  Let them experience boredom; plenty of studies show that it sparks creativity and problem solving.  

Alternate unstructured play with parent led activities that will get everyone’s creative juices flowing.  Tap into your own inner child.  Look around your house.  What do you see?  

Empty shoeboxes and Amazon packages make an excellent setting for a diorama.  Some string and beads or Cheerios will keep little hands busy making jewelry.  Use wrapping paper to create origami.  Nearly anything can become a percussive instrument.  Collect objects from nature or magazine clippings for collages.  Have them reenact their favorite scene from a book or movie.  Put on a talent show complete with singing and dancing and homemade costumes; a flashlight makes a stellar spotlight.  Kids of all ages can participate in culinary arts and then enjoy the fruits of their labor around the table.  Older kids can journal about this unique period in our world’s history.   

Invite music (not noise) to fill your home during this uncertain time.  Spa and classical music make for a calming and inspiring backdrop for your days.  When you need a little pick me up, turn on tunes that lift your spirit and energize your body and soul. 

Keep Moving

Don't let your self-quarantine give you a case of cabin fever.  You and your children need to keep moving. Exercise releases those mood boosting endorphins, and who doesn't need a little boost in mood right now?

Backyard play, neighborhood walks, nature hikes, gardening, and household chores are all activities that your kids will love doing with you.  Grab your scooters or bikes and ride into the sunset.  

If weather is uncooperative, there are many exercise programs that can be done indoors.  LES MILLS offers a variety of fitness classes for adults and kids of all ages. Their 800 + workouts are sure to having something to suit the fancy of each member of your household.  For young children, GoNoodle offers free movement and mindfulness videos created by child development experts.  Their whole child approach addresses children’s physical wellness, academic success, and social-emotional health.     

Tune In

This pandemic is no doubt a crisis unlike anything I’ve ever seen in my lifetime.  Still, I search for a silver lining.  

Many of us have experienced how living in a warp speed society of constant connectivity has often kept us stressed and separated from our own families. For those of us lucky enough to be confined to our homes right now (God bless our health care workers and all the other folks who don’t have this choice), we’ve been given a unique opportunity—to lessen external distractions, to quiet the demands of our careers, and to cease the over-scheduling of our children. 

Our children look to us for how to respond in a time of crisis, and they’re completely in tune with us right now.  Let’s tune in and be present with our loved ones.  We may even save a few lives while we’re at it. 


Janine McKenna is a credentialed school counselor and teacher who has worked with middle school students for more than ten years. She holds a BA in Theatre Arts and an MAEd. in Counseling.  Seeing students and families struggle with social media and technology, Janine came to Wait Until 8th as a concerned parent and signed the pledge.  She is excited to serve as a local voice to support parents as they strive to make informed decisions that align with their values.  She lives with her husband and their two young children in Los Angeles. 


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