Take The Scotty's Pledge

We have spoken to many Scotty’s parents who have either lost motivation with home schooling or who are struggling to keep up with the demands placed upon them, so we have used our experience to pull together a few useful hints and tips for home schooling and signpost to some useful websites.

We are aware home schooling struggles aren’t unique to bereaved Forces families, so we want to share these far and wide, and hope at the very least they will remind you that you aren’t alone.

Our Scotty’s top tips for home schooling:

1. Stay connected. Encourage your child to keep in touch with their school friends and family members through phone calls, messages, video calls etc. This will help with any feelings of isolation they may have.
2. Try short bursts with lots of breaks. Most children don’t work a solid seven hours on a 'normal' school day, especially younger children, so split the lessons/subjects up throughout the day with lots of breaks in between. Remember some bereaved children can really find it hard to concentrate, especially in the months following a bereavement or around anniversaries.  Others may find schoolwork a useful distraction from their thoughts.
3. Keep talking. Get involved whenever you can to show your support. Even if your children are older and completing their schoolwork without your input, why not sit nearby or show interest in what they have been learning once their lesson has ended. This will help with family communication and you never know what the discussion will lead to next.
4. Understandably you may be lacking vision and motivation, as well as running on a low patience. Don’t put too much pressure on them or you. Just do the bare minimum and be gentle on them during these challenging circumstances.
5. You know your child best. Take it one day at a time. If you have an unsuccessful, unproductive, bad day, just remember, tomorrow is a new day. The most important thing is your child is safe and feeling loved. Stay positive.
6. Keep in touch with your child’s school. Speak to your child’s teachers, explain to them what’s working well and what’s not working at all. They will be able to offer ideas and guidance, especially if your patience is near to breaking point! Don’t forget they will pick up on your child’s learning when they return to school and ensure key topics are covered.
7. Every child in the UK is experiencing this change in education, so it’s important you remember you are not the only ones. You should also remember you are not your child’s teacher, you are their parent or carer, so don’t be too hard on yourself. What is it we always tell our children? Just do your best.
8. Children see their home as their safe place, where they can unwind, play and be themselves. Now children are having to use their homes to complete their schoolwork, so set up a designated learning space. If this is at the dining room table, kitchen side or bedroom, then set it up and pack it away once ‘school time’ is over. This can help with separating learning and relaxing.
9. Exercise can be a great way to get ready for learning. Why not start the day with a walk around the block together or you could head outside towards the end of the day. Grab the bikes or scooters and take a breath of fresh air. And remember that learning can happen outside too!
10. There is an abundance of free online resources, as well as those that your child's school will probably send you. You don't need to reinvent the wheel – check out the Internet if you are stuck for ideas. And don’t forget there are many ways you can incorporate learning into everyday life, and that may be all you manage some days.
11. A great way to check learning and understanding is by swapping over the pupil/teacher roles and getting your children to teach you what they've learned. It shows we are interested, gives them an opportunity to explain what they have been doing and may spark conversation or ideas for other activities.

Useful websites

Positive Parenting Project / npr / Griffin Occupational Therapy