Set a routine with the kids. It helps them look forward to things
Monday – baking
Tuesday – Craft
Wednesday – Bush walk
Etc. It allows them to know when something is coming. Change it up and get their feedback (if they are old enough) and make the plan with them.

I think just accepting you’re not going to reach the standards you’d consider ideal is important. YOur house won’t be as tidy, home schooling won’t achieve as much, everyone will grumble more. RElax about it a bit.

Have so many different options for things to do, don’t rely on TV all the time, make sure you all get out of the house at least once per day to exercise.

I’m teaching my daughter to sew. I taught her hand sewing and cross stitch last year during lockdown and we’re now going on to machine sewing.

We are actually using this time to bond as a family. We have been going to lots of walks and I went got some new board games. I’m really enjoying this time with my kids.

Plenty of kids activities and a secret supply of gin

I have a two year old and a six month old.
We’ve just been taking walks out the back as we back onto a creek area.
I bought a whole bunch of cheap toys and art and craft stuff from kmart and did a Christmas in July present hunt out the backyard.
We flew a kite, and looked for the items on the check list which was part of a garden discovery kit from kmart. We’ve also been doing painting, playing with slime, cooking simple things in the kitchen and playing with the pets.

One day at the time…don’t plan to much and you will not be disappointed if you not achieve it…I am home with 3 and 5yo who normally are with me all the time ( no preschool except playgroup). I let them explore our backyard-there is dirt everywhere, they are playing with mud, climbing trees and helping with all the gardening like pulling weeds. We leave near reserve and we are doing bushwalk almost every day collecting treasure, playing i spy or recreating we are going on bear hunt.
We also sign in for online music session once a week just to let them see other kids and I am doing Hippy program with my 5yo.

Set up zoom play dates for kids. I’ve found that’s been the hardest on my little one, he’s so social and really misses human contact. We’ve set up weekly games with his cousin (they’re both very young only turning 4 later this year). But we play musical statues, really simple charades etc. Or my sister and I will pick a toy that we know they both have and set it up so they can play the same toy together, which ends up quite cute as they copy each other and try to imitate tricks the other one does. The other day the call was in costume and they both dressed up as superhero’s and had a lot of fun with that. Connection is so important, more than keeping busy, and this is one way we’ve found really helps them socialise and connect with each other.

variety – if you can get outside, regardless of rain/cold, bundle up and do it. If nothing else it tires everyone out a bit. I had twin 4 year olds and a 6 year old , and it was really hard attempting to home school with zero internet and kids who fight over everything. I got the boys to join in with the physical exercise bits, and tried my best with everything else. Very hard considering work was expecting me to work from home, so I ended up using rec leave (which is all i have remaining when the kids are sick.) Try to take things one day or half day at a time and engage the kids by each day deciding what things do we need to do and want to do, and draw a picture of each task.

All depends on the age of your children. I think the most important thing is not to be too hard on yourself or your children. If schooling or working from home is not a factor then treat it like you would any holiday period. Play games, do craft or baking activities & just enjoy your time together. If schooling is your challenge, be a little more relaxed. As long as the required work is being completed then why does it have to be on a set schedule? For younger primary children, I believe as long as you are doing a bit of reading, writing and maths everyday then you shouldn’t be stressing too much about it. Do some science experiments. Baking is a great way to practice maths skills by finding a recipe and then getting your child to work out the measurements for a half batch or a double even triple batch. High school children should be on a schedule set by their school so just make sure they are up in time to login & if you are concerned about anything you can contact their teachers to see what they need to be doing. I think working from home with children is probably the biggest challenge because if you are there, you can guarantee your children can’t do anything without your help. All I can suggest is make some ground rules & if possible have a work space away from everyone else. Make up a ‘do not disturb’ sign to let the children know you are unavailable during important calls or when you just can’t be interrupted. Communicate with them & take time out for breaks to spend a little bit of time with them.

We do a mindful break after lunch every day. I put on cosmic kids yoga for my son and I take that time to relax with a cup of tea and a book. We then do a mindfulness exercise together from smiling mind before I get him to have quiet time in his room while I do some cleaning. I find this break recharged both of us and we then have quality time together in the afternoon.

Depending on your children and their ages, discuss mental health with them. I did it last year with my 4 and 6 year olds. I discussed how everyone needs to help out and that we sometimes will all need our own time and space.
Also playing board games/video games, watching movies. I pitched a tent in our living room and gave them suitcases. Books are fantastic also. (You probably won’t get too many saying this but home schooling. My kids and I do it willingly. They enjoy it and for one of my children, it fills a need)

I think the best thing i could pass on thats honestly helped me out so much, is just to become a kid yourself. Try remembering what you did when you were there age and just have fun. With lockdown kids cant go off and see there mates so just try being one and have fun.

Depends on the age of the kids and if you need to home school as well. I found it helpful to structure the day and make a plan each day when in lock down. We did craft activities, garden treasure hunts, inside and outside obstacle courses, we build huts, baked cookies, made play dough, went to local parks or for a walk, we did tictoc dance competitions, had cleaning projects and wrote cards and letters to family

Get some old magazines and let them cut out say animals, flowers, cars, dresses, shoes etc and buy a cheap scrapbook and let them write a story with the pictures or just stick say flowers on a page and see how many they got, make it fun. Make some cupcakes or biscuits together then watch a movie with a drink and what you cooked. Do a vegetable garden doesn’t have to be big get a Polly stirine box or a pot you already have and get a couple of packets of veggies or girls might want some flowers, tell them they are responsible for watering them. Maybe make a puppet let them pick what they want get the glue but before anyone starts they have to get newspaper and cut into squares and they have to get a ballon blown up so they can start sticking the paper. Do a picnic in your backyard let them choose to what they wanted to have and let them set it all out.