Being a student and a parent has put me in an interesting position as the Coronavirus spreads. With non-stop hand washing and constant reminds of “Don’t touch your face,” I have had to come up with ideas of what to do with spring break 2.0.

There will be a time for work because TJC still wants my homework to be due when I come back, but there will be fun times also to be had here at home. I am not that concerned what my professors want; I just want my family safe and happy. With all that is going on, I want my kids to stay happy but not forget that learning doesn’t ever stop.

I am aware not all parents can do what I am doing. Some still have to go to work and make a paycheck. I have the privilege to stay home because of my husband who is a medically retired veteran. I am sure the children who cannot stay home with their parents are with other family members or close friends.

Tyler ISD has been rounding up resources for the children to do and emailed families links for the kids to use so the education doesn’t stop. Tyler ISD even reached through email and stated that AlticeUSA said they are “offering 60 days of FREE broadband internet for those not currently signed up for service to help students stay connected and learning.” I think that is really helpful for the families who will be caring for children and need to help their minds stay active and learning. Not everyone can afford the internet.

So, we will have art time scheduled with science, math, reading and social studies — pretty much a make shift homeschool. With no formal things planned, YouTube will help me out a lot and the internet.

 A YouTuber called Amy Pearce created a video “How to paint a geometric mosaic elephant,” which we will watch and use it like a painting with a twist class. The only difference is we are not with the public, and I am the only one drinking an adult beverage and the kids will have juice.

Thankfully, my kids have collected workbooks at the end of their school year, and they can do math problems in them. My little brother, who is 19, loves learning about history and learns a lot of history on YouTube, so we will research things on there about history. Kind of like “what happened on that day.” On top of watching, I plan on having the kids  give me a short paper on what they learned.

For science, we will study about the Coronavirus and all that is going on with that. We will do our own scientific method and ask a question and see if we can answer it in our home. A website called sciencebuddies.org allows us to refresh on the scientific method. The website seems to be geared toward everyone — young and old, which is really cool. You can take a survey and get science projects designed for yourself or another.

At the end of the night, we will read books, watch movies and cuddle. To spend energy, I’ll make sure to burn the kids out in the backyard and go hiking in the park. Not many people go, so there is no real threat of the virus. Plus, I have them washing like crazy and putting on hand sanitizer. 

For some normal fun spring break things to do, I plan on doing our annual tie-dye event. Every summer we do our tie-dye family event. With all that is going on, I think moving it up this year is OK. We buy the big kit projects and save the leftovers for the next year. So, once the summer hits we will find a kit on sale and save it for next year. Yeah, I am that mom who gets ready for a lot of things.

Not sure how long this will go on but getting the kids on a routine is essential in their well-being. So with makeshift homeschool we will, continue to check in with the Tyler ISD, and have fun at home while staying as healthy as we can be. If you find yourself in a similar situation, I hope these ideas can help you stay busy and safe.