How to Manage As a Family During Unexpected School Closures

Explore this Article

methods

1Planning Childcare

2Helping Kids Maintain Their Schoolwork

3Coping with Cabin Fever

Other Sections

Expert Advice

Tips and Warnings

Related Articles

References

School may close for many reasons, from canceling classes due to bad weather to shutting down for several weeks to prevent the spread of a dangerous illness like COVID-19. If your child's school announces that it's suspending classes, it can be challenging to adjust your schedule at first, but there are things you can do to make it easier. The first thing you'll have to address is planning childcare, particularly if you're a single parent or both parents work outside the home. Also, you'll need to take steps to ensure your child doesn't fall too far behind on their coursework so that they're not overwhelmed when things get back to normal.

Steps

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Planning Childcare

1. 
   1
   Stay home with your child if you're able. The easiest way to make sure your child is cared for during the day is just to stay home with them. If you work, talk to your employer about any sick days or paid time off you might have saved up that you can use while your child's school is closed. If it's possible, you might even be able to do some or all of your work remotely, so you won't have to worry as much about missed wages.

   • If you co-parent, consider whether it's an option for the two of you to take turns staying home with your children.
   • Talk to your co-workers about ways you can work together to manage your workloads, since many of them will also be affected by school closures.
   • If widespread emergencies, parents may be able to receive temporary assistance to make up for lost wages due to school closures.
2. 
   2
   Ask a friend or family member to watch your children for short-term care. If you can't get off work and you have friends or family who live near you, ask them if they'd be available to watch your child while you're at work. If you know other parents whose children are also out of school, you might even offer to take turns staying home to watch each other's children, similar to sharing a commute by carpooling.

   • Try offering the person something in return for their time. For instance, you might say something like, "Aunt Dora, could Cayden stay with you during the day while school is out? I'll make a batch of those almond cookies you love!"
   • If schools will be closed for several weeks and the only people you could ask live far away, you might consider allowing your children to travel to stay with them if it's your only option.
   Advertisement
3. 
   3
   Consider hiring a babysitter for longer or indefinite school closures. Finding someone to watch your child on a snow day might be easy enough, but if the schools in your area will be closed for weeks or even months, it may be harder to find someone who's available. In that case, it's probably best to pay someone to watch your child, if you can afford it.

   • If you're on a tight budget, try asking a local high-school student to watch your child, since they'll be out of school, too.
   • For widespread school closures, your school district may provide some assistance to help with in-home childcare.
4. 
   4
   Avoid using a childcare facility if schools are closed due to illness. If your school district decides to close schools to prevent the spread of an illness like the flu or COVID-19, you should take steps to keep your family safe as well. One way to do that is to avoid sending your child around large groups of other kids, so if you can avoid it, don't drop your child off at a daycare center during periods of widespread illness.

   • If schools are closed, private childcare facilities may decide to close as well.
5. 
   5
   Stay informed so you'll know when your child needs to return to school. If your child's school closes, you'll be responsible for knowing when they need to go back. Each day, check your local news or the school district's website for information on when school will be back in session.

   • Be aware that your child may have to attend additional days at the end of the school year to make up for the days they missed during the closure.
   Advertisement

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Helping Kids Maintain Their Schoolwork

1. 
   1
   Talk to your child's teacher about their expectations during the closure. It's important to know what schoolwork your child will be responsible for while their school is closed. Your school should reach out to parents with some guidelines, but it can also help to talk directly to your child's teacher.

   • For instance, you might try emailing the teacher to find out if any assignments will be due during the closure, or if any digital homework is expected.
   • In some cases, your school may arrange for your teachers to make home visits to make sure students are staying on track.
2. 
   2
   Follow any digital learning plans implemented by your school. If school is expected to be out for a while, your school district may expect students to attend virtual classes or to turn in assignments online. If that's the case, set up an area in your home where your child can complete their work, and make sure they spend some time working on it each day.

   • In some cases, if your school district requires digital assistance, they may help provide mobile hotspots or devices to students who don't have them.
3. 
   3
   Have your children complete any assignments that would normally be due. If your child was given any assignments before the school announced the closures, including homework, research papers, or other projects, make sure they continue working on those assignments while school is out. Chances are, they'll still be expected to turn them in when school is back in session.

   • Your child's teacher might also assign additional work during the closure, like reading textbook chapters or writing book reports.
4. 
   4
   Plan at-home projects to enhance their learning. Even if your child's teacher doesn't assign them any work while school is closed, you can still find ways to make sure they don't fall behind while they're out of class. For instance, you might look online to find age-appropriate worksheets so they can continue practicing skills like math or spelling. You could also look for age-appropriate books so that they continue reading.

   • When classes resume, your child might even enjoy a boost to their grade thanks to their independent work!
5. 
   5
   Plan break times during the day. Kids (especially young kids) need recess to relax and have fun in between lessons. And you might find the breaks beneficial too.
6. 
   6
   Stick to your daily routine as much as possible. Even if schools are closed, you should still try to help your children keep a normal schedule. Wake them up each day at the same time they would normally get up for school, and have them keep their same bedtime. That will make it much easier for them to readjust when school is back in session.

   • In addition, try to stay calm and positive so you don't transfer any anxiety to your children, even if you're concerned about the reason that schools are canceled.
   Advertisement

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Coping with Cabin Fever

1. 
   1
   Make plans with your spouse or any other adults in the family.
2. 
   2
   Give everyone their own time or space to decompress. While having a chance for extra quality time can be welcome, if your family is stuck in the house together for too long, everyone can start to feel a little crowded. To help prevent this, designate a spot where each person can go when they want some alone time, like their bedrooms or another out-of-the-way spot.

   • Be creative when you're coming up with how to share your space. For instance, if you don't have a lot of space and your children share a room, you might designate a headphones-only time, so everyone can get a little peace.
3. 
   3
   Ease up on your regular rules. Having your children home from school can mean everyone ends up with a lot of extra time on their hands. This is a good time to relax your restrictions on how much screen time your kids can have each day, for instance—letting them get lost in their phones, tablets, or video games can be a great way to buy a few quiet hours during the day.

   • Make it clear to your children that you're making an exception to the rules because of the special circumstances, and that things will go back to normal once school resumes.
4. 
   4
   Encourage hobbies and special projects. This is a good time for your child to delve into their interests. And if they're focusing on something they enjoy, you have some extra time to handle your responsibilities or do something nice for yourself.
5. 
   5
   Add novelty to family life. If you can afford it, try bringing home a new toy or activity book that your child can use. Try a new activity or an activity that your child hasn't done in a while.
6. 
   6
   Plan fun activities to keep your children occupied. If you have a little notice that schools may close, stock up on things like arts and craft supplies, putty, playing cards, and other fun ways your kids can occupy themselves. That way, you'll have an easy go-to whenever they start complaining that they're bored.

   • Choose age-appropriate activities for your children. For instance, if you have a young child, a coloring book and a new pack of crayons may be all it takes to buy a quiet hour or 2. If you have a teenager, you might offer them a sketchpad and charcoal, instead.
7. 
   7
   Stay physically active if you're able. Kids need a lot of activity to burn off that unlimited energy they seem to have, and physical exercise is a great way for you to get rid of excess stress, too. Even if you aren't able to get out and about, try coming up with fun ways to get your bodies moving, like having a family dance session or a jumping-jack competition to get everybody's hearts moving!

   • If the weather is nice, let your kids play outside for a while early in the day or even take a neighborhood walk. Being outside can be refreshing and boost your mood. Then, you can do arts and crafts later in the afternoon.
8. 
   8
   Video chat with family and friends to stay connected. If you can't leave the house because of bad weather or a mandatory quarantine, everyone might start to feel isolated and bored, which can quickly lead to frustration and arguments. To help avoid the dangers of isolation and loneliness, set up a computer or tablet in a central area of your home and frequently call your loved ones and child's friends to video chat.

   • For instance, you might let each child call their best friend for 30 minutes a day.
9. 
   9
   Mediate disputes patiently. Unfortunately, being in close quarters together can cause tempers to flare sometimes. If that happens, ask everyone to go to their own space and take a few minutes to cool off—including yourself, if need be. Then, bring everyone back together and emphasize the importance of staying united as a family, and talk out a resolution that will make everyone happy.

   • For instance, if your children are arguing over whose turn it is on the PlayStation, you might ask them to play a two-player game or give each one a specified time they can play during the day.
10. 
    10
    Encourage them to talk about their feelings. Changes in routine can be stressful for kids. Validate their feelings and let them know that it's okay to be having a hard time. Here are some things you can say to an upset child:

    • "I know you miss your friends. They're a lot of fun, aren't they? Maybe we could set up a video chat and make plans to get together when the COVID-19 pandemic is over."
    • "I know homeschool is a challenge for you. I never went to teaching school, so I'm not perfect at teaching yet. You can talk to me about it. We'll figure out how to do this together."
    Advertisement

Expert Advice

Try these tips to keep your sanity during a school closure:

• Explore additional childcare benefits. One thing I would encourage every parent to do is to ask their employer whether there's any provision for extra childcare benefits.
• Consider starting a childcare co-op. If you have a group of parents who are all trying to work from home, you might get 4-5 kids together and each take turns caring for them. However, if you do that, make sure that the kids are healthy, but also make sure no one else in the house has been sick, so you don't spread illness around.
• Look for fun ways to learn together. There are so many fun things you can do, like participating in outdoor areas, exploring outdoors, or going on scavenger hunts.
• Have a great sense of humor. The great thing with kids is that they almost always maintain a really great sense of humor, and there's almost always something to find joy about. Really, make sure to hold on to that when things get tough.

From Corey Fish, MD

Pediatrician & Chief Medical Officer, BraveCare

Expert Q&A

Search

Add New Question

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Advertisement

Tips

• Depending on the reason for the school closure and the eligibility of your school district, your child's school may implement a plan to provide meals to low-income children during the school closures, similar to the meals offered by many districts during the summer.
  Thanks

  Helpful0Not Helpful0

Advertisement