Whether you have toddler or a high schooler, chances are this sheltering in place moment has caused you to pick up a new profession: teacher.  We loved these tips educator Oona Hanson shared on Today.com:

Take it easy on yourself
Try to avoid social comparison; cute color-coded schedules and elaborate crafts just might not work in your house, and that’s OK. Remember that we’re modeling for our kids that we don’t have to strive for perfection or imitate what others are doing.

Let them get bored
Letting them sit with the discomfort of boredom may be really hard at first — for all of you — but it’s worth it to let them struggle. Imagination, creativity, and self-discovery blossom during boredom.

Lean into reading
While younger kids love being read to by a parent, you don’t have to do all the heavy lifting. Actors are reading children’s books aloud online, and audiobooks are more accessible than ever. While most public libraries are closed, many offer electronic downloads of e-books.

It’s OK if you hate math
Unless you love exploring math with your kids, go easy on yourself with this one. There are many high quality online resources for math and younger kids can use flash cards to maintain or build automaticity with their math facts–and they can do it on their own, without an adult or a computer.

Don’t forget home economics
This is the perfect time for them to learn key life skills, such as cleaning, cooking, laundry and pet care. With teens, you can introduce financial literacy by including them in your checkbook balancing, budgeting and online bill-paying.

Give them choices
Some kids may have structured schedules for online classes. But for others, you can let them have a say in how, when and where they want to do their work. This is a great chance to build their metacognition — where they can become more aware of how their own learning and thinking process works.

Be intentional with screen time
It’s helpful to separate screen time for school from screen time for leisure, so encourage kids to switch gears with some physical cues.

Go old-school
Encourage them to pull out the art supplies and get their hands dirty. Writing an old fashioned letter to friends or family — or even fan mail to a celebrity — helps them not only feel connected but also supports communication and fine motor skills.

Model self-care
This is an anxiety-provoking time, so it’s important to take care of our own mental health, whether that’s accessing a care provider by telemedicine, enjoying our favorite comfort food or going for a daily walk — whatever it is that works for us, given the parameters of social distancing or even shelter-in-place requirements.

Let kids feel their feelings
While our kids may not always have access to ideal instruction in their academic subjects, they can still learn essential emotional literacy skills that will serve them their entire lives.

What tips are you keeping in mind as you navigate the “school day”?