Home Learning Tips from Pea

10/01/2021 ● Published by : Claire

Here we go again. Schools are closed once more and parents have been thrown back into a world of homeschooling. It’s advised that primary school aged children need a grown up with them whilst they learn from home. But we’re not teachers. And many of us are working from home or have multiple children of varying ages to manage. A recent Ipsos Mori poll found that working mothers with children were 45 per cent more likely to have suffered mental health problems than the general population during the first two lockdowns. The juggle is real. And we’re feeling the pain. So we’ve put together our tips on staying happy and healthy whilst home learning:

Do What’s Best for Your Family

This time round schools and teachers have done an incredible job of getting lessons online, but that can add additional pressure for some. All children are different. And not everyone is lucky enough to have laptops. So if all you can achieve is half an hour a day, make that count. And remember that learning is more than just maths and literacy. The best way to engage children is to pursue their interests. Be creative and learn in different ways, through art, sport, cooking, nature and the power of imagination.

Establish a Routine

Children need structure. A predictable routine offers consistency helping them to feel safe and secure. And in these uncertain times, structure is more important than ever allowing children to know where they are and what to expect. So try to organise your day as much as possible, including breaks. It also helps us working parents know who is responsible for what and when.

Take Regular Breaks

Brain breaks are important for children. They are short mental breaks taken at regular intervals. And they work best when they include some sort of physical activity to balance the mental energy. According to Unicef, they’ve been found to reduce stress and help kids to stay calm and focused. So if your children are learning online, make sure they get away from the screen in between lessons and rest their eyes. Most children can’t concentrate for longer periods of time, and that is especially problematic for those with additional learning needs so let them learn at their own pace.

Get Some Fresh Air and Keep Active

Sunlight and fresh air are essential to our well being. Sunlight helps hormones to remind the body it’s awake time. Whilst fresh air and exercise aid sleep. During winter months we spend more time inside our homes which limits our daily vitamin D dose, needed to keep children’s minds and bodies healthy as they grow. So get outside and get active. Exercising not only helps keep little bodies healthy, it helps little minds as the endorphins relieve any worries they might have as a result of the ongoing pandemic. We know not everyone has the luxury of outside space of their own, so our national hero Joe Wicks is back with his live PE lessons at 9am on Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays on The Body Coach TV helping to keep children moving through lockdown from the comfort of their living room.

Get Lots of Sleep

Sleep is especially important for concentration. Children aged 6 to 10 years old, need between 9 to 11 hours sleep per night. It helps their focus, memory and mood. To help our little ones learn to the best of their ability, we need to make sure they are rested. As the saying goes “the beginning of a great day, starts the night before”. Cotton bedding has been shown to help a good night’s sleep because, as a natural fabric, it helps regulate body temperature. Our 100% cotton percale bedding sets feature a high quality, crisp and pure 200TC weave that is lightweight and breathable. Helping to keep children cool in the summer and cosy in the winter.

Create a Good Learning Environment

Where possible remove distractions and create a quiet environment for children to learn. Somewhere safe and familiar. Lack of space is an issue for most at the moment. Our family homes have to work harder than ever to be functional in multiple ways and still be aesthetically pleasing. That includes spaces for children whether that's to learn, play, rest or grow. A space to call their own is psychologically important. A child's bedroom is their personal place. We believe they should inspire imaginations and creativity especially at a time when bedrooms have become their worlds once more.

Get Lots of Sleep

Go on a Storytime Adventure

If all else fails read. If nothing else, just make time to read a book with your child no matter how old they are. Books are a great way to rest their eyes from the glare of screens. They can also provide escape into storytime worlds and inspire imaginations. We love using picture shelves to display children’s books. We can’t claim credit for the idea but we wanted to create something unique that offered a little more style and impact than the plain white or black options that are widely available. Our shelves are all about the colours. Designed to coordinate with our both our Treetops and Enchanted Forest bedroom collections, whilst being cool enough to be used in grown-up spaces within the home for a pop of colour too.

Join The Adventure Club

Pea launched in the summer of 2019 and along with it came our Adventure Club. Throughout every school holiday since we’ve added free ideas and activities to get creative. Then of course last Spring lockdown #1 came, the schools closed and we were all thrown into an unknown world juggling homeschooling, work and everything in between. We wanted to help other parents fill the hours, days and weeks that stretched ahead so we got to work creating more fun activities, games and adventures you could enjoy for free at home. So as we now find ourselves in a lockdown world once more, don’t forget to join The Adventure Club where you can find free activities to get creative and help keep children entertained over the coming weeks, plus you’ll get access to exclusive discounts and offers.