Home Learning - One Week In

The children broke up from school on Friday and the weekend was quiet but didn't feel that different.  Monday morning came around and I felt prepared, excited even.  I had a schedule, ideas, space and time, the only thing that was missing were children that actually wanted to do any of it.  This first week has been a week of experimenting, listening, changing expectations and learning.  Day 1 left me in tears but slowly we are working as a team to find what works for us.  I have found that the days are exhausting, being the only parent to four (Ed is working very long hours so isn't around other than for bedtime) and trying to be everything and so I promised myself I would get my big camera out every day, so that I can keep something I enjoy going as well as finding a way to document this strange time in our lives.  

Day 1

Day 1 was tough and I think taking a photo of a little face pressed up against a window shows this.  I felt trapped and I think my frustrations rubbed off on the kids.  They didn't want to do the p.e videos that the rest of the country are loving, they didn't want to do any kind of formal learning and other than painting our rainbows for the window, everything felt very hard.  There were lots of tears (nearly all mine) and I had to give myself some space to find a way through.  We ended the day with a family meeting and coming up with a reward chart together, the kids helping choose the tasks and rewards.

Day 2

I realised that getting outdoors is really important to my mental health and I need to prioritise it.  The day was so much more relaxed and everyone was happier.  Our block is busy with foot traffic so we drove to a deserted part of the coast to get some outdoor exercise whilst still strictly social distancing.  The sea air calmed all of us, we did maths questions written in chalk on the floor and the bigger boys attempted to teach the younger ones how to hopscotch.  I felt so much more positive and there were no tears!

Day 3

By the time the children go to bed, I am exhausted and desperate to collapse in my bed with a book.  The house really needs a clean and a tidy but there is only so much I can manage at the moment.  You can see in the background how much washing up I have but in the foreground you can see that we are learning our own way, baking together.  We followed along with a live cook with kids session on my laptop and did more practical learning.  This summed up our day really as we focused on gardening and baking rather than literacy and numbers.  I want to start taking this as an opportunity to teach them the things that school can't and hope that they are bright enough to catch up on the more academic subjects when schools go back.

Day 4

I remember spending time digging in the garden as a child, I remember the excitement of finding worms, even though I didn't want to touch them and there are times in the day that it feels like I am sharing those memories with the children.  They took the tuff spot outside and made a bug house with a worm hotel.  One child (there is always one) was more than happy to pick up the worms and inspect them and they loved getting muddy and playing outdoors.  There have been stressful parts of the day (as there always are) and we have pretty much taken a day off of school work but that is ok, I am ok with that decision.

Day 5

The final day of the week, it marks one week since the schools shut and it feel like both the longest week ever and strangely one of the most enjoyable.  Without distractions and appointments, the endless school runs and swimming lessons, we are learning to just be.  I am getting the hang of what structure works best for us and they are looking forward to the their favourite bits of being at home, like the pretend coffee shop we made this afternoon after decorating the cakes we had made this morning (and burnt).  They are already asking about things we can do again next week and I am feeling less overwhelmed and more ready to embrace this strange period which feels like both a terrible time and a gift at the same time.  

It has been a strange week and I have enjoyed following other people's journeys on social media but I have also had to step back and realise mine will be different.  There are people reading more, writing more, baking more, crafting more.  There are people who will be better at this than me but I am the best one for my children and at the end of the week I am confident that they feel secure and loved in this difficult time.

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Free Play with Petits Filous

This week, Archie brought a friend home from school.  He came in and asked what we had to play with him.

“What is your favourite toy at home?” I asked him

“Well I really love cardboard boxes” he replied and just like that I felt more positive about the future.  Giving my children the option to free play is really important to me and their imaginations will be the ones changing the world.  

Mine have screen time (too much I should probably admit), swimming lessons and after school club every week but we try and make sure that they have opportunities to play free every day, to leave behind the structure of nursery and school and expectations of learning and just run with whatever comes in to their heads.  They are encouraged to just be, without any input from me, so they can find their own games.

Free Play is exactly that. . . free.

It doesn’t require expensive props or toys, it doesn’t even require your time or input.  As a child I remember turning the coffee tables upside down and making them into hutches with my siblings so we could be bunnies.  My children love transforming things that have been earmarked for the recycling bin and a cardboard box and some Petits Filous yoghurt pots are always staples.  Finn will without a doubt request I make him a car and he and Cora drive all over the place in it, taking turns to drive and push each other round. Dylan usually prefers crafting something himself but he isn’t yet too big to get stuck in with the toddlers’ games and he loves to steer the play in new ways.  They free play alone, in pairs and every now and again all four together.

Sometimes I watch them, listen to their language evolving, witnessing them problem solving and embracing their imaginations.  I think offering them the opportunity to free play every day is one of the most important things I can do as a parent and I am hoping my children continue having the capacity to just play for many more years.  Today’s innovators are those that can step away from what we already know and can access that free space in their mind where they can imagine the future.

Petits Filous have researched the importance of Free Play and teamed up with Amazon Pantry to encourage more children to create and imagine.  You can even get technology involved with Alexa! Simply ask Alexa to ‘Open Petits Filous’ to add sound effects and another dimension to their play.

This summer we are going to encourage the children to be bored because once they push past boredom, they become creative, they play free and they grow their imaginations! You can find out more over on the Petits Filous facebook page

Sponsored Post

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First Wonder Box Review

Is there anything more exciting when you are five and six than getting your own post?  We have been working with First Wonder Box to check out their dinosaur box and it was a huge hit with them both! First Wonder Box is a subscription box service aimed at children aged 4-8 years old and each one has a theme from dinosaurs, to under the sea to bugs.  They are small enough to fit through the letterbox but big enough to be full of fun.

I was a little nervous when it arrived as we have tried a few boxes and they needed a lot of adult imput which is lovely, but I have been looking for something that the boys can do a little more independently too.  First Wonder Box has a great balance, especially for Dylan, 6 (Archie's reading skills means he still needed a lot of help).  We looked through it together, but I could leave him to explore further alone if I wanted to.  The box had 

-Two collector cards

-stickers

-an activity book

-a pterodactyl mini kite

-a small stretchy dinosaur

-A pencil and rubber

-A scratch art dinosaur

-The box which turns into a game.

The boxes are priced at £7.99 although you can get your first box for half price and I think it is a great price! Dylan got stuck straight in with the scratch art, something we haven't done before but he loved!  The kite has been put away for the next windy weekend and he loved the collector cards, although he would have liked some more cool facts on them.

The activity book is great as it has plenty of games alongside facts and information so it is educational and kept him busy for ages! The pencil and rubber meant it was ready to go and I would definitely consider buying something like this for travelling and holidays for that reason!  

The boys loved playing the board game too which we probably played about 10 times that first day! Everything you needed was included and it is a great use of materials.  We were also sent an under the sea box which had a game of memory you could cut out on the box which has also been played with loads!

The age range suggested is 4-8 years, and I think this is quite accurate.  At 6, 7 and 8 the child will be able to do the box pretty independently, and at 4 and 5 it is definitely something nice to do with them.  Most subscription boxes are more craft based than this one, however we liked the balance of information with activities.  Overall we were really impressed and both boys have asked if we can get them again!  You can order your first box for £3.99  on the First Wonder Box website

 The post is in collaboration with First Wonder Box 

but all thoughts and opinions are completely my own.

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