Where do I even start?
First things first, remember to look after yourself, if you’re feeling less stressed then it’s easier to manage certain situations. Try to take each day at a time and not be too hard on yourself. You can find helpful advice for keeping calm on our page of mental health advice for parents during coronavirus and our pages about managing the challenges of parenting.
Does my child need to learn from home again?
Your child's school will let you know if they need to learn from home for any period of time. Our schools FAQ page has the latest information on schools in Scotland. You can also find out more about home and blended learning here.
Am I expected to homeschool my child?
Absolutely not. It's just about doing your best to support your child with the work their schools give them. This is very different from homeschooling, where a parent is entirely responsible for their child’s education.
What should I focus on if they have to learn from home?
The most important thing you could do for your children is support them to settle back into home learning. But this doesn’t mean needing to go through their school work all the time.
The best way you can support your child is to set aside some time to talk to them about their schoolwork, and to have some fun! Below are some tips to help with this, and links to further resources that might help you.
In this short film, teacher Chris Smith shares his tips for supporting your children to learn from home.
How do I get them to do schoolwork when they refuse?
If trying to get your child to do schoolwork leads to arguments and tension, take a break. Go and have some fun for a while. You can always come back to it later on once everyone is feeling more calm.
No matter what age your child is, try not to worry. Spending time together is one of the best ways to support your child.
Tips if you have younger children
Start small. If you have a young child, the best thing you can do is play together. Read stories, sing songs, dance around and have fun. We’ve got fun family games to play indoors, ideas for ball games, ideas to keep children entertained in the kitchen and tips for making bathtime fun.
Let them take the lead and see what fun you can have. You could even ask them to help you make lunch and snacks or sort the washing – our page on getting the kids to help around the house has more ideas.
Tips if you have teenagers
You can find more ways to support your teen’s learning at home here.
Tips if you have more than one child
If you’ve got more than one child at different stages of learning, it can be tricky juggling these different priorities. We’ve put together some tips to try to help you and your family.
Tip #1: Think outside the box
Tip #1: Think outside the box
Tip #2: Write a letter
Tip #2: Write a letter
Tip #3: Easy freezy activities
Tip #3: Easy freezy activities
Tip #4: Help around the home
Tip #4: Help around the home
Tip #5: Playing schools
Tip #5: Playing schools
Should I be worried about my child's education?
Keeping your child and your family safe, happy and healthy are the most important things parents and families should focus on if they have to learn from home.
But if your children aren't able to go to school or to their usual early learning setting, it’s totally understandable to be concerned that they might not be progressing in their learning as much as they should. The best thing you can do is not to put too much extra pressure on yourself and do what you need to do to get through the period.
In this short film, Dr Janet Goodall from the Learning Foundation explains that there’s no such thing as ‘lost learning’ and that children have been learning all the time during this strange situation.
Should I worry about too much time spent playing?
The last year has been difficult for all parents and we’ve all been doing our best, so please don’t feel guilty about letting your child play if they have to learn from home. Play is a really important part of life, particularly at difficult times, and is actually part of Scotland’s school curriculum.
Playing helps children and young people:
- stay emotionally healthy
- stay physically active
- relax and forget about any worries
- learn and make sense of new experiences and changes in their world
- cope with feelings that are difficult or frightening
Play helps children become more creative, learn to solve problems and work out what they think and how to respond. So if you see them putting face masks on their teddies or building a hospital out of blocks, or returning to games they used to play when they were younger, this is just their way of coping with the situation. It’s also important for older children and adults too!
The best thing you can do to support them with learning at home is to give your child enough time and space to play every day and be prepared to put up with a bit of noise and mess. Get outside for exercise with your child each day, no matter what the weather, as it’s important for their development. If your child sees that you’re happy they’re playing, they’ll enjoy it more.
No matter what age your child is, we have lots of play activity ideas that can help develop their skills, have fun and keep you fit and healthy as a family.
What if my child has additional support needs?
If your child has additional support needs, their school might put in place extra support to help your child with learning from home. It’s natural to be anxious about what will happen. Schools will always contact parents if there’s going to be a change, but if you’re concerned then do get in touch with them.
Our page on supporting children with additional support needs to learn has more information.
