COVID 19 - Local Resources for Parents
I, as many of you, have my school-aged children at home full time now. Fairfax County just announced that students will not be returning for the remainder of the school year so this is the new normal. My husband and I are facing the same challenges as many of you - trying to keep up with work demands while entertaining and engaging our kids.
I have received so many wonderful online learning resources from our local elementary school, friends and other online resources. I thought I would share them here so they are compiled in one location. If you have resources that you are using that are helping your day run more smoothly please let me know and I’ll add that information here. It does not all have to be online of course.
What we are Doing:
Morning Meeting: at 9am we sit down to talk about our day and the things we want to accomplish. I try to brainstorm a few ideas the night before. Nothing serious - just a few things to bring structure to our day.
Academics: We are using some worksheets we received from our teachers and are requiring the boys to do one math worksheet each day and to complete at least 30 minutes of reading.
Good Deed: I think it’s important now more than ever for my kids to realize the importance of helping others. We are trying to do one good deed per day. So far we have cheered up grandparents via FaceTime, yelled happy birthday and made a sign for a friend’s birthday, made a card for my sister who is a nurse for immune-compromised patients and donated money so FFX County can continue delivering meals to children.
Housekeeping: My kids have been pretty spoiled and have not had to help with many of the household chores until now. I am having them help fold towels and rags we use in the kitchen, wipe counters, vacuum and clean their bathroom.
Fun: We started with Episode 1 of Star Wars and are sitting down after they are in pajamas to watch a new one each night as a family. They LOVE this and I think it is great to have something fun for them to look forward to in the evening.
Everything else is on the fly and what we are able to manage. Between meals and redirecting our kids back to what they should be working on and cleaning up the messes in between the day really flies by! Our day ends at 4pm when the boys can do one hour of electronics before getting ready for dinner.
Online Learning Resources:
I’ll continue to add to this list so please feel free to send me more resources and check back often. Wishing all you parents lots of luck in this new journey as home schoolers.
Teaching with 3-Acts: this was sent to me by my cousin who is a teacher in Dubai. It’s created by a college professor. I watched the video with my 8 year old. We are still working on the answer but he was really engaged during the question part and what information do we need to solve this problem part. Can you figure it out?!
Kiwi Co Kids at Home Resources
STEM Learning Grades 3-High School
Fairfax County Online Resources:
Fairfax County Online Blackboard
FCPS Online Databases and E-Books
City of Alexandria:
Alexandria Library Online Learning Resources
Alexandria Public Schools Learning at Home Page
Arlington County:
Arlington County Public Schools Learning at Home Page
Helpful Articles:
The Washington Post: How to keep your cool with your kids when everyone is cooped up together
Harvard Business Review: That Discomfort You’re Feeling is Grief
Naturopathic Pediatrics Blog: How to Help Your Child Handle this Pandemic
Groceries:
Costco Delivery: You can normally get same day or 2-day delivery. It’s now running about 4-5 days. We have ordered a few times over the last week and a half and most of the items show up. Obviously they are out of some things and others are replaced with something similar or we get fewer because they are placing limits on orders.
South Mountain Creamery: We have been ordering from SMC regularly for about a year. We get milk, eggs and a huge box of veggies and fruit delivered every week. Things are also limited here but it’s a great way to get vegetables and maybe a few things you haven’t tried before!
https://inova.4pfoods.com/store
https://keanyproduce.com/curbside/
Alexandria Restaurants:
District Taco: They are offering curbside pickup. We used the app and were able to let them know when we were on our way and when we arrived. A nice man came outside with our food and handed it off.
The Haven: Now delivering! We ordered food - a fairly complicated order for 6 people of all ages and got it within 40 minutes delivered to our door. A win!
Local Businesses:
Vikriya Lab: they have transformed their business in a matter of days to an online yoga and pilates experience.