Top tips for home schooling

Establish a routine: It is important to maintain a routine during this difficult time. In general, children respond better when they know what to expect in a given day. Get your children to put together a timetable - this develops many skills such as time management (many of us could do with a lesson or two in this!), telling the time of course and negotiation (yes, they WILL try and add in lots of breaks and rightly so ;-),

Focus on the basics: By basics, I mean English and maths but this doesn't have to be the dreaded reading comprehension or arithmetic sheet, it is much better to teach it through something the children will engage in. How about a cookie recipe? Your kids could use the internet to find a tasty recipe and follow the instructions, having to weigh out the ingredients. Even better if you can.... print a recipe, cut out the instructions and mix them up for the kids to put in order (comprehension), say you want to make 12 cookies if the recipe is for 8 (maths skills) and finally get them to wash up after (like skills ;-)).

Use the internet: Yes we all harp on about screen time, but the internet is full of fantastic educational resources and games. Head to my Facebook page and checkout the Menu to see a list of useful websites. Of course this isn't definitive list but it will give you a start.

Learn something new together: Let your children choose a topic of interest to them and work on a project together. Or perhaps learn a new language? This is the perfect time for learning something together and will be something you will remember for a very long time.

Take a break: Plan short breaks throughout the day when the children can exercise, chat to their friends (it's essential they maintain contact with their friends and keep some form of normality) and perhaps prepare lunch or dinner for the family.

Give YOURSELF a break: Don't be tough on yourself if the children don't 'get it' first time when teaching them something new. To avoid creating stress for anyone, leave it and return to it in a few days. Believe me, you will love it when you see that light-bulb moment. If you're struggling with the work yourself, again don't be tough on yourself, get online and look for examples. Or just have a brew with a friend (online of course ;-)) and you will feel better after.

And breathe....