ML Interest Tag: tutor

15 Ways to Give Back: DC Groups You Can Support Right Now

by Meghan Yudes Meyers

From donating goods to volunteering your time, these are the best places around DC to make a difference as a family

Play Santa this season by checking off the wish lists of these local non-profits (plus one neighborhood group). You’ll help bring holiday cheer to those in need while also modeling empathy, kindness and generosity to your kids. There are so many ways to empower the local community this December, from donating goods, volunteering services or even making a monetary contribution. Whether you choose to spend time with struggling students in Ward 5, support sick kids with holiday gifts, or empower homeless teens with gift cards, donating to these local organizations will help make the holiday season a little brighter for those in need (and might just boost your family’s joy!).

https://www.instagram.com/p/CasJMIzOwWt/?hidecaption=true

Places to Support Children in Washington, DC

Dr. Bear's Closet at Children's National Hospital 
Bring holiday cheer to hospital-bound children this Dec. by donating gift cards and new toys, books and games. Shop the hospital registry here  to choose a gift that will be shipped directly to Dr. Bear's Closet. The hospital is collecting holiday donations now through Dec. 23 (but donations are accepted year round, so don't worry if you miss the holiday window).

111 Michigan Ave. NW
Stronghold
Online: childrensnational.org

District of Columbia Public Schools
DCPS (District of Columbia Public Schools) is currently seeking items to support in-classroom instruction, like computers, art supplies and white boards. You can direct your donation towards your local school, or contact DCPS to find the schools most in need. You can also make a monetary donation here.

Online: dcps.dc.gov

DC Diaper Bank
Helping babies is the number one mission of the DC Diaper Bank. Diapers, newborn necessities, nursing supplies, hygiene products and more are all collected to empower and change lives of babies living at or below the poverty line. DC Diaper Bank collects more than just diapers, you can also donate new carseats, strollers, diaper bags and other nursery needs. Stock the Bank's pantry by donating formula, wipes, diaper cream and more. 

1532 A St. NE
Capitol Hill
Online: dcdiaperbank.org

Beacon House
Serving over 400 children in Ward 5, Beacon House aims to close the educational gap and help Edgewood students achieve their greatest potential. Like a "beacon" of light guiding students to graduate from high school and pursue secondary-education, this non-profit embodies the spirit of a "lighthouse" for neighborhood kids. Donate your time and talents to help Edgewood youth; this organization is always seeking volunteers to help with their many educational programs. You can also make a monetary contribution here. For material good donations, contact the organization to get a list of their current needs.

601 Edgewood St. NE
Edgewood
Online: beaconhousedc.org

Partners for Kids in Care
Partners for Kids in Care supports children and youth in foster care and at-risk families in DC’s welfare system. Donate new or gently used clothes, games, toiletries and linens to the Children's Donation Center where teens, youth and families can shop free for their personal needs. 

200 I St. SE
Navy Yard
Online: cfsa.dc.gov

Mobile Hope
Mobile Hope has been empowering at-risk youth in Loudoun County since 2011. This organization supports teens and young adults (up to 24) with shelter, clothing, food, transportation and more. You can support Mobile Hope's annual toy drive by shopping their Amazon wish list here. Mobile Hope also accepts food, clothing, shoes, diapers and more year round.

302 Parker Ct. SE
Leesburg, VA
Online: mobile-hope.org

Martha’s Table
This group has worked for 35 years to support children, families and the community at large in the DC area. Volunteer your time and become one of the 16,000 volunteer who help with food, clothing and special events every year. This organization is currently accepting beans, canned vegetables, whole grain crackers, pasta and more (for a full list, go here). Martha's Table also accepts new and gently-used clothes for adults and children.

2114 14th St. NW
Cardozo
Online: marthastable.org

https://www.instagram.com/p/CfRj_tYOL0F/?hidecaption=true

Places to Help the Homeless in Washington, DC

So Others Might Eat
For over 50 years, So Others Might Eat (S.O.M.E.) has been serving the DC"s homeless community and those experiencing extreme poverty since 1970. This interfaith organization offers transitional housing, access to medical care, career training, and an open door policy to those that need a hot shower, a meal or food pantry items. S.O.M.E. is currently collecting food, clothing, hygiene items and household goods. You can view their Amazon wishlist here.

71 O St. NW
Truxton Circle
Online: some.org

A Wider Circle
A Wider Circle provides basic need items to families transitioning out of homelessness or leaving domestic abuse situations. Their goal is to help families get a fresh start with dignity and hope. A Wider Circle accepts gently used  baby essentials, like strollers, highchairs, changing tables, Pack ‘n Plays, car seats, infant and toddler clothing and cribs as well as any household items you might need to start a new home (think pots and pans, desks and children's toys). 

9159 Brookville Rd.
Silver Spring, MD
Online: awidercircle.org

Shelter House
This nonprofit serves two shelters for families and one for victims of domestic violence in Fairfax County, VA. Needs are greatest for toiletries, gift cards, diapers and wipes, baby bottles and more.

Online: shelterhouse.org

Carpenter’s Shelter
Serving more than 600 homeless and formerly homeless children and adults each year, this shelter serves people in need in the city of Alexandria. They’re looking for in-kind donations of food, toiletries and miscellaneous items such as air mattresses, dish and bath towels, and SmarTrip cards. 

5701-D Duke St.
Alexandria, VA
Online: carpentersshelter.org

Bethesda Cares
This community outreach program for the homeless provides food, clothing and psychiatric services, and helps put a roof over the heads of people in the streets. Bethesda Cares accepts food, clothing or toiletries. During the winter, coats for adults are especially needed.

7728 Woodmont Ave.
Bethesda, MD
Online: bethesdacares.org

https://www.instagram.com/p/CdoR78pPMIY/?hidecaption=true

More Ways to Give Back in Washington, DC

GreenDrop
As the name implies, you can drop used goods at a number of freestanding donations boxes across the DMV, but this service will also come to you! Schedule a pick up and let GreenDrop haul away your bags (and bags!) of used clothes, toys, appliances, small furniture and more. GreenDrop sells your goods and you choose where they donate the profits (pick from organizations like the American Red Cross, Military Order of the Purple Heae or the National Federation of the Blind). 

Various Drop-Off Locations around MD and VA or schedule a pick-up
Online: gogreendrop.com

The Buy Nothing Project
Post items on your local Buy Nothing group that no longer bring you joy and  brighten up the day of one of your neighbors (they simply scoop up your goods from your doorstep). These groups aren't just limited to used goods; you can also share your time and talents. Whether you're a notary public or an online tutor, you can offer your services free-of-charge to help those that could not otherwise afford them. Want to be on the receiving end of your neighbors' generosity? You can also request things from your personal wish list with one simple rule: money never changes hands.

Online: facebook.com/BuyNothingProject

Bikes for the World 
Let's think about the tricycles and bikes that may be crowding your hallway or tiny garage. A great organization that can help you to get rid of some of those bikes is Bikes for the World. Bikes for the World is a nonprofit humanitarian organization and volunteer network that collects thousands of used bicycles, as well as bike parts and tools, and delivers them to community programs around the world. Recently, they worked with BikeMatch DC to deliver bikes to essential workers during COVID. They also distribute bikes to area youth through an earn-a-bike program. So get to pedaling over to the Bikes for the World Warehouse. You can donate at anytime to any participating bike shop or find out when the local warehouse (address below) is hosting a bike drive.

1420 S. Eads Ave.
Arlington, VA
Online: bikesfortheworld.org

Advertisement

Related reads

Advertisement

5 Ways Homeschool Is Better than Zoom-School

By Jen Lumanlan

There’s a kind of amnesia that happens after giving birth—as the weeks pass, somehow the memories of the agony (and the tearing!) become muted, and we look back on it as something we can know was difficult without actually being able to remember how it almost literally ripped us apart.

Many parents are in a similar situation with distance learning right now. They can look back at last year and think “yup, that was hard…” without remembering how it almost literally ripped us apart as well.

Parents in Las Vegas are worried that Zoom-school is just around the corner, and for children in several counties in Georgia it’s already here, prompted by a sudden increase in COVID cases among students.

Are we going to do another semester of Zoom-school? Or maybe even another year (if infection rates remain high for the unvaccinated even after the vaccine is available for children)?

Can we make it through another semester (or year?!) of Zoom-school?

If you’re considering homeschooling instead, it’s really important to know that just because Zoom-school is at home, you’re not actually ‘homeschooling.’ 

Here are the top 5 ways that real homeschooling is more interesting, fun, and way less stressful than Zoom-school:

1. Your child doesn’t have to be on Zoom all day! While it might seem like you need Zoom-school to keep them occupied, if you have to continually bribe (or threaten) your child to do it, this is probably creating a good deal of angst for both you and your child.  When you take Zoom out of the equation you don’t have to coerce them into participating in learning any more, which frees up a lot of time and energy for more fun things…

2. In most locations, you can pretty much do whatever you want for homeschool. New York State has some of the most restrictive rules, requiring you to submit a notice of intent to homeschool, an annual plan for the year, compliance with instructional hours requirements, file quarterly reports with the school district, and test your child each year (or submit a narrative evaluation by a certified teacher).  

Several states (Oklahoma, Illinois, Indiana, and others) don’t even require that you let the district know you’ll homeschool; other places fall in between.

3. You can support your child’s social and emotional growth. Schools do nominally foster “Social and Emotional Learning” (SEL), but most often this is done with a purpose of making the child more compliant with the teacher’s need for a quiet classroom. At home, you can help them understand what’s happening in their bodies when they feel dysregulated, how they can calm themselves if they want to—and when it’s appropriate to be angry (e.g. when they witness injustice), how to express that.

And schools might seem like they provide a place where children from different backgrounds can mix but in reality, most children self-segregate by factors like age and race. But homeschooled children make connections with people based on shared interests like gardening (which connects my daughter to our retired neighbors as well as the Black and Indigenous managers of the local community garden) to form genuine friendships.

4. You can follow your child’s interests. We all learn most effectively when we follow our interests. I remember the first time I used the internet—I was looking for bus schedules and an hour later I was deep into the history of breadmaking. Links are amazing! 

In school, the curriculum is set by bureaucrats who have no connection to your child’s district, school, or life. Because of this, curriculum-based learning can never be truly responsive to our child’s interests—which is why we have to bribe them using grades, behavior management charts, and the threat of losing recess. Nobody wants to learn things that have no connection to what’s going on in their daily lives.

You can use a curriculum for homeschool but if you do, you’ll bring all the most difficult parts of school into your home, and you’ll lose time and energy for the stuff that’s really fun—like following the links from today’s interest to tomorrow’s fascination.

5. Your child will maintain their intrinsic love of learning. Young children have an intrinsic desire to learn—it’s how they achieve milestones like rolling over, walking, and talking. Research has shown that most children lose this love of learning in the first couple of years of school—instead of asking questions about how the world works, suddenly the only things they want to know are whether they have to do something, and how to do a task the teacher has asked them to do. 

When you aren’t coercing your child into spending hours each day doing something they don’t enjoy, they’re more likely to keep seeing learning as enjoyable. They’ll be driven to keep doing it for the sheer fun of it.

If you think that homeschooling might be right for your family but you’re still not sure (or you just want to hear more about the hard parts and not only the fun parts!), The Confident Homeschooler Short Course was designed for you. It has all the (research-based) information you need to make the right decision about homeschooling for your family, plus bonus interviews with experts (like a math tutor and the person who wrote the book on how to choose a curriculum, in case you do decide you want one) and with families who are homeschooling who want to help you avoid the same mistakes they made.  

And here’s a bonus tip: the decision to homeschool is never forever. You can change your mind and put your child back in school whenever you like if it doesn’t work out!

RELATED:
I Was Homeschooled as a Child. This Is What I Think about It Now
Homeschooling Resources for Parents

Jen Lumanlan fills the gaps in her parenting intuition through research, via a Master’s in Psychology (Child Development) and another in Education.  Her podcast, Your Parenting Mojo, provides rigorous yet accessible information on parenting and child development to help parents tame the overwhelm and raise resilient, thriving children.

Advertisement

Related reads

Advertisement

This New App Uses AI to Help Your Child Become a Better Reader

by Erica Loop

Literacy leader Amira recently announced the launch of its brand-new app—Read with Amira. Backed by 20 years of research from Carnegie Mellon, the app uses artificial intelligence (AI) technology to help kiddos become better readers!

Targeted for children ages five through 10, Read with Amira provides real-time reading feeding that may boost a young child’s literacy level. If your kiddo is suffering from a school reading lag or just needs extra help with their literacy-based lessons, this app is a tech-friendly helper to explore.

photo courtesy of Amira

The app listens to your child as they read, checking for correct pronunciation. Read with Amira then provides real-time feedback, correcting your child when needed. Not only does the app help your child as they read, it provides you with detailed feedback on the correct number of words read per minute, what your child is reading and how many times each week they read.

Mark Angel, CEO and Co-Founder of Amira Learning, said in a press release, “Closing the literacy gap among children in the U.S. will increase academic engagement in school and at home for children.” Angel continued, “Amira is focusing on correcting early literacy issues by combining the science behind how young people learn to read and recent developments in AI to create a virtual reading scientist for every teacher and every student.”

Learn more about Read with Amira and get started with the app right here!

—Erica Loop

Featured photo: Andrea Piacquadio via Pexels

 

RELATED STORIES

What Are Kids Reading? This Report Has the Answers

21 Incredible Reading Nooks You Will Want in Your House

It’s Not Just Reading, But How You Do It That Makes Kids Successful

 

Advertisement

Related reads

Advertisement

From the Mom Who Doesn’t Have It All Together

By Allyson McCormley

Dear Diary (early September edition),

It is approximately day 184 of quarantine. I think we are holding it together. In fact, I was so full of thinking I “had it all together” that I completed two Zoom calls and recorded a birthday message for a good friend’s upcoming birthday last week. As I tucked my kids into bed, I gave myself a pat on the back, and I thought to myself, “look at you…. you have it all together.” I worked my day job, exercised, made three square meals a day for my family of four, scheduled my daughter’s math tutor, and facilitated “virtual learning” for my two school-aged kids.

Then I got ready for bed. I realized that, during my two Zoom calls and recorded birthday message, my shirt was on backward. Great! After deciding I should stick to my normal uniform of yoga pants or pajamas, I drifted off to sleep. We woke up two hours later to smelling smoke in our house, but we couldn’t determine where it was coming from. The fire department came and apparently our beloved, often ignored, turtle’s water filter was overheating and smoking. Even Donatello (ie beloved turtle) is looking for a way out of this house! Don’t worry, the turtle will end up in our will because he will live forever (footnote: we assume the turtle is a he. This has not been confirmed). Luckily, we caught the problem before it became an issue… kids didn’t even wake up with all the chaos. And turns out, I went to high school with one of the firefighters, who I haven’t seen in 20 plus years.

So, that was Wednesday. Highlights from Thursday include talking to a reality TV show producer and patiently waiting on hold for almost two hours with our refrigerator manufacturer. It’s been 6 weeks, and apparently, they are really pleased with my patience, and they will get back to me as soon as they can. Don’t hold your breath. It’s a breezy 114 here, so any chance we had to keep food cold was averted because said refrigerator isn’t working.

In the meantime, we got a new fridge because we couldn’t handle or afford to constantly eat out. Still waiting to see if the other fridge will get fixed (they tried five times) or finally just give us a refund. Also, we found out that August was the hottest month ever recorded in Phoenix, and the second hottest month ever recorded was July.  My kids will be online learning for the foreseeable future, and we are adding to my list of things I am unqualified for:

  • #1 not a 6th-grade teacher
  • #2 not a third-grade teacher

We are grateful for our health and safety, and I hope when I look back at this post a year from now, I can laugh as hard as my neighbor did when I told her this story.

Allyson is a mom of two and has more than a decade of experience working in both television news and public relations. From national television shows to top newspapers, Allyson has worked around the world including a travel magazine in London, England, Phoenix TV and local hospital and healthcare association.

Advertisement

Related reads

Advertisement

Give Virtual Education a Boost with These Online Tutors

by Wendy Miller

Distance learning has its perks—and, let’s face it— its challenges. Getting to log in to class in your PJ bottoms is nice, but online schooling means kids aren’t getting the one-on-one time they may receive in a classroom. A personal tutor takes the guesswork out of getting a child to stay focused during a lesson. The following tutoring companies are offering online platforms that let your kids get the help they need from the comfort of their own home. If your child needs literal face time, these DC tutoring companies will also come to you.  Scroll down for the best online tutoring options  to round out your kiddo’s education and ensure they stay on track this year.

eLearning, computer, headphones, zoom call, computer, covid, distance learning, education
photo: iStock

 

Grade Potential

Grade Potential offers the most extensive menu of subjects, promising tutoring in every subject your child can take from elementary through high school, and even including college tutoring and test prep tutoring. They also offer tutoring seven days a week, from early morning to late night, perfect for working around your busy schedule. Though they do still offer in-person sessions, they have migrated most students and tutors to their online platform, making tutoring even easier and more convenient. Plus, without the overhead of a physical location, they promise lower costs to you.

Online: www.gradepotentialtutoring.com

Club Z! Tutoring Services

Club Z! promises availability 24/7 with a 98% satisfaction rate and an increase of two letter grades in two months. If you’re looking for grade-driven results, Club Z! might be exactly what you need. They offer tutoring in several subjects including pre-k, foreign language, and study skills. Plus, they have tutoring specifically for kiddos with ADHD or learning disabilities.  This service comes with a guarantee; if they don’t find you the right tutor, they’ll cover the cost of your first hour of tutoring.  Need help face-to-face, they can also come to you. 

Online: www.clubztutoring.com

photo: GSCSNJ via Flickr

Kumon

Kumon offers reading and math learning. They offer sessions for preschoolers and for advanced learners with an assessment to determine whether your child needs to catch up a bit or is ready to move ahead of the pack. What really sets Kumon apart is that tutor-led instruction includes independent work. Kumon determines where your child may have gaps in their foundational learning, then encourages your child to engage in self-learning to fill those gaps and build on their new foundation. Unlike traditional tutoring, where an instructor offers knowledge that your child may or may not fully grasp, Kumon allows your child to feel the thrill of seeking out education on their own and putting it to use. Kumon offers an online platform, but their regional centers are open and available for face-to-face help. 

Locations: Georgetown, Arlington-Yorktown, Bethesda-Brookmont, Bethesda-Chevy Chase, Silver Spring, McLean, Falls Church, Kensington

Online: www.kumon.com

Launch Math & Science Centers

Launch offers a robust menu of tutoring options  that focus on math and science. Launch makes math and science fun, but perhaps one of its most unique and useful features is that they make the work provided by your child’s school the focus of each session. Each minute of the session will not only ensure your child is gaining a better understanding of the subject, but is productively spent on work that gets counted towards their grades rather than random practice assignments.They have remote learning support, called Launch Study Hall, as well as summer and holiday camps, enrichment classes, and even an option to customize a class for your child and a few friends.

Online:: launchmath.com

photo: Rawpixels 

 

TestingMom.com

If your kid does well in school overall but they struggle with tests, TestingMom.com is the answer. With thousands of questions from the most-given major tests, your student will have plenty of chances to practice their testing skills in a low-pressure environment long before the big day arrives. TestingMom.com offers printables, interactive games, and practice tests so that the learning is always fun and interesting. They use a unique system to help your child reinforce existing abilities and beat common test-taking mistakes so that they can knock it out of the park when they take the real test.

Online: testingmom.com

—Wendy Miller

RELATED STORIES: 

110+ Online Learning Resources for Your Kids from Toddler to Teen

Check Out These Learning Resources Amid Coronavirus School Closures

 

Advertisement

Related reads

Advertisement

The Mental & Social Challenges of a Unique School Year

By Brian Galvin

There’s little doubt the 2020-21 school year is going to present unique and unprecedented challenges for children of all ages.  Educational issues will likely dominate the headlines, but the mental and social well being of our kids is equally as vital. 

One important consideration with early elementary students is that a lot of their feelings of angst, anxiety, and stress just feel “bad” to them and they don’t yet have the experience or vocabulary to know exactly what they’re feeling and whether that’s okay. According to the experts, one of the best things parents can do is to help children articulate and define what they’re feeling (e.g. “you’re feeling lonely because you miss your friends”) and then explaining and modeling that students are justified in feeling so. Kids will feel a range of emotions for a variety of reasons, but defining them and talking about them is a helpful way to mitigate the stress that comes from “why am I feeling this way?”

With middle and high schoolers, the era of social distancing comes at the inopportune time when their world is supposed to be expanding. Parents should acknowledge that these students are absolutely justified in feeling shortchanged of milestone experiences like homecoming dances, basketball tryouts, and trips to the movies. They’re supposed to be feeling independence and asserting themselves as individuals and this era restricts a lot of that; they’re right to be frustrated, and an important parenting strategy is to exercise specific empathy—be present while listening to their angst and repeat back to them some of their specific concerns (e.g. “I’d be upset if I were missing an entire cross-country season, too”) so that they feel heard, understood, and justified.

For students of all ages, the era of continued distance learning is likely to come with both boredom and a lack of personalized attention in school. A school without social interactions and extracurricular activities is boring—a series of online lessons strips away the fun of goofing around during “passing time” between classes and the passion that kids have for music practice, field trips, and sporting events. So parents should look for ways to add some sizzle and socialization to the learning experience. For example, find subjects (e.g. space and dinosaurs) that kids love, and small-group meetings that dive deep into those subjects where kids get to really nurture their innate curiosity. 

Personal attention is in shorter supply during distance learning too—those moments of downtime when a teacher can have a quick conversation before class or shoot a student a look that expresses “I’m proud of you” or “don’t even think about it” just don’t come up virtually. That’s when parents, or a tutor or mentor, really need to take an active role in talking to students about their schoolwork.

Kids need to sense pride when they’ve accomplished something or have an outlet to ask questions (or have someone intervene) when a concept just isn’t clicking. Unlike a school day when the time between classes and activities can facilitate so many small conversations and interactions, in an online class that click of an “exit class” button takes those interactions away, so parents will need to proactively seek personal attention.

Regardless of whether your local schools are open, using a hybrid model, or starting completely remote, make sure that you’re considering more than just the academics. After all, we can all remember back when personal interactions and social growth were just as important as the actual work. 

Brian Galvin is the Chief Academic Officer for Varsity Tutors. A lifelong educator with a Master's in Education, Brian's been teaching and developing online classes since 2009. He most recently helped design Virtual School Day, a free remote learning program that includes live, online classes to help students during coronavirus school cancellations.    
Advertisement

Related reads

Advertisement

Set up for School Success With These Kid-Approved Home Learning Ideas

By Adele Beiny

Photo: Adele Beiny via Life’s Looking Good

For many kids across the country (including mine), their school season won’t be business as usual. Some students might be thrilled, while some may be extremely bummed out and really miss normal life. I think we can all agree though, that no matter what, it’s a lot of change for our little guys.

One way we can help ease their transition into home learning is to create an environment that feels special and warm for them. One that is designated for their school work but full of creative and unique self-expression.

I’ve compiled a few ideas and items that parents may find helpful when setting up their new learning spaces this fall.

1. Organize it. I always start with organization, because a clean and de-cluttered area fosters a clean mind. Just like adults, children find it hard to think in chaos. Their surface or desktop spaces should be as clear as possible. I love to use makeup caddies as school supply holders. They can house markers, pencils, highlighters, scissors, and rulers. They can also be kept out for easy access while still maintaining a tidy feel. These can be found with a handle, drawers, or be turn-st‌yle like a lazy Suzan. I love these as they provide easy access for little hands.

Another way to store their necessary art supplies and workbooks can be with woven baskets, collapsible cubes, or clear Lucite bins. Depending on your child’s st‌yle and age, they double as room decor too!

Rolling carts are a great option to keep surface areas clean while having supplies, books, and crafts handy and nearby. They also come in really cute colors or can be spray painted to your child’s favorite color! Another bonus is they can move easily from room to room if your child’s learning does too.

2. Personalize it. Let their personalities shine! Use their favorite colors, characters or sports heroes and find some wall decals in that theme to put up near their learning area.

You can also gather several fun photo memories from the summer, print them online, and have them hung in a fun way. Let them choose the photos and how they want to hang them. You can change them seasonally too, as weather changes and as you capture new moments for them like their classroom bulletin board.

A personalized water bottle can be set nearby so they don’t need to leave during calls. The more things reflect them, the more they’ll like being in the space designated for them. Ideally, each kid has their own space to learn, but if they don’t, labeling or having some of their organizational supplies personalized can give them some pride of ownership. If it clearly belongs to them, they may take more care to be mindful of their space and things.

I feel passionate that just because school isn’t in session, doesn’t mean they shouldn’t have a cute backpack and fun accessories. Your child may need to tote school items and their tablet or laptop to another co-parent’s home, a neighbor, or a tutor. So let them choose a fun backpack to have. Add a cool keychain on it. Colorful or interesting folders will still be appreciated. Let them be a part of the choosing process for school supplies, much like if it were non-COVID times.

3. Offer (small) distractions. Lastly, incorporate items that may be needed to help with distraction. A fun but comfortable headphone set to block out household noise while on calls for example and for kids who have trouble concentrating keeping handy, put some thinking putty, stress balls, or rubber bands across the bottom of their chair to bounce their feet on.

All of these thoughtful preparations will also start positively reinforcing that summer is winding down and a new season is starting. You can talk to them through the process of how they feel about the changes. Ask them what items (within reason) they think will make this transition easier?

Taking the time to order the supplies and cultivate a designated and child-specific learning zone will show them that although schooling will look different this year, it matters greatly.

Good luck this year and happy at-home learning.

Hi! I’m Adele - not the singer. I am the proud mother of two amazing humans, Jacob and Lyla. I find beauty in the simplicity of the world around me. I love bringing humans together with good food and creating a mood that fosters meaningful connection.

Advertisement

Related reads

Advertisement