30 newyork| march30–april12, 2020
And Make
Simpler Plans
BYLINDSAY POWERS
myinstagramfeedused
tobeclutteredwithcolor-
codedlessonplansfrom
parentsdeterminedto
winathomeschooling.We
arebeyondthat now. Still,
kidsthriveonroutine,and
thereare waystobuilda
littleflexiblestructureinto
yourdays.Hereis some
advicefromteachers.
Let your kids
help you make
the schedule.
Thiscangivekidsa much-
neededsenseofcontrol.
ElizabethSussman,a
middle-schoolspecial-
educationteacher, cameup
witha listofprioritiesthat
herfamilyincorporatedinto
theirdailyroutine.“Italked
tothemaboutwhatthey
thoughttheirdayshould
looklike,howweneedto
get outdoortime,howwe
needtomakesure thedog
getswalked,howwekeep
ourapartmentcleanand
pickupafterourselves.”
Consider a
“menu.”
Insteadofa stricttimetable,
here’s a strategythat Dawn
GalluccioBauer,a momand
mathteacher, hasadopted.
“Aminute-to-minute
schedulewouldfreakusout.
Mykidsare rulefollowers
andwouldfocustoomuch
ondoingexactlythesame
thingatthesametime. That
justfeelsway toostressful
rightnow,” shesays.“The
menugivesthemchoices
whenthey’reat a loss for
somethingtodo.We’re also
doingthingsthatwe come
upwithfromdaytoday.”Plan from
behind.
“Iwritedownattheend
ofthedayallthelearning
experienceswedidversus
tryingtoscriptthem
atthebeginningofthe
day,”explainsChristy
Thomas,a formermiddle-
schoolteacherwho
nowhomeschoolsher
threechildrenandruns
thepodcastEveryday
Motherhood.“Thisallows
menottofreakouton my
kids.Kidsnaturallydo
moreondifferentdays.
Somedays,my 7-year-old
justwantstodomath
andis totallyengaged
withit.Anotherday, we
learnaboutanimals.
Overall,it equalsout.”Stagger your
schedules.
“Y oudonothavetocram
yourworkandyourchild’s
learningintoaneight-hour
schedule,” saysChrishon
Sims,an11th-gradeteacher
withan8-year-oldand a
4-year-old.“Ihavemy kids
getuphoursafterI do. That