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Grandparenting

Corona virus - How can we help grandchildren remotely?

(47 Posts)
Leed Thu 19-Mar-20 11:41:10

Since the news came out that schools will close on Friday, here and in other countries, I have been wondering how best I can help my son and daughter in law in Australia with schooling their four children of 11, 9, 6 and 5.

Can anyone advise on good interactive apps or suggest ideas which could help me and other grandparents to do our bit.
Thanks.

endlessstrife Wed 25-Mar-20 16:44:48

My grandchildren have got links to follow through the school. They are 7 and 4, and their parents are doing fine with them.

GrannyLaine Wed 25-Mar-20 16:48:57

Smiddy I'm not surprised you feel that way, but please stick with us on Gransnet. I think some people aren't coping well with the current situation and overreact in many ways. I like your idea of "Word of the day" and might take that idea up too. As well as my handwritten letters wink

Hithere Wed 25-Mar-20 16:49:20

Why not asking the parents of the kids how you can help?

Hetty58 Wed 25-Mar-20 16:53:31

Nail on head Hithere!

Callistemon Wed 25-Mar-20 16:54:22

Just keep in touch with Facetime, WhatsApp and have nice chats with them.

Australia is very well geared up with schooling remotely, they have had years of experience of it with School of the Air and now lessons are conducted online.
They will all have their scheduled schoolwork to do online so any more offers of help with schoolwork would overload them.

It will soon be the Easter holidays and finding some fun games to do or ordering some fun games to be delivered from an Australian website might be a good idea.

Callistemon Wed 25-Mar-20 16:56:43

We are also setting up Zoom so we can have whole family teleconferences.
My DD, who teaches in Australia, has set this up to interact with her students. She recommended it too.

Callistemon Wed 25-Mar-20 16:57:56

I'm posting a few vegetable seeds to our youngest to be planted in pots. You never know some may grow!
and you can't send seeds in to Australia. Customs will just confiscate and burn them.

Callistemon Wed 25-Mar-20 17:11:10

A good idea in this country, though. I was collecting the M&S little garden seedling kits but only managed to get two.

Smiddy Wed 25-Mar-20 17:21:56

Thank you, @GrannyLaine, I hope the majority of posts will be informative, supportive and friendly like it says on the Netiquette page!

M0nica Wed 25-Mar-20 17:37:25

Callistemon we completed our first Zoom meeting 10 minutes ago.

Both DGC (9 & 12) are having regular lessons from school. Mostly streamed, with work sheets and project work to do between lessons. The younger one is having work packages from school. He belonged to a coding club at school and is working very hard at that.

I have set each of them a personal project based on things we have done together, that we enjoy. These are entirely leisure projects , but it means that during the Zoom meeting we have some one to one time discussing what they are doing and what I have done as both projects are collaborative .

Smiddy Wed 25-Mar-20 17:55:38

Tomorrow's words are demisemiquaver and didgeridoo!

notanan2 Wed 25-Mar-20 17:57:29

endlessstrife and hithere you are a good examples of the kind of support/help that is really needed at the mo flowers

Daddima Wed 25-Mar-20 19:37:46

Have I missed something? I thought children were not being ‘ homeschooled’, but given set work by the school, which was to be completed at home.
I doubt schools would hand over a child’s education to their family, no matter how well-meaning.

Mind you, I saw, on a school’s page, a picture of a complex model which a 7 year old child had allegedly made as part of their school project!

endlessstrife Wed 25-Mar-20 19:43:10

I don’t understand your statement notanan2

endlessstrife Wed 25-Mar-20 19:47:30

Ok, no I get what you’re saying, I should have read all the posts. I just leave them to it, I’m sure they’ll ask if they need help. Thank you notanan2, and sorry if I misunderstood you.

GeorgyGirl Wed 25-Mar-20 19:49:19

I like the idea of your words Smiddy.

Callistemon Wed 25-Mar-20 19:50:18

Smiddy I used to love demisemiquaver when I was a child! The word and as a piano pupil

And, of course, didgeridoo, love listening to that.

Daddima Wed 25-Mar-20 19:53:58

Calistemon

Son - “ Mum, I failed my Aboriginal music exam”.

Mother - “ And did you redo it?”

I’ll get my coat.

Callistemon Wed 25-Mar-20 19:55:36

Daddima the online work for older children is being done online so their teachers will see their work and can mark it. The work packs for primary will be done physically I expect, then more are being prepared.

I think most Australian children are very used to accessing work online.
DD is using Zoom with her students she needs to interact with them verbally.

Callistemon Wed 25-Mar-20 19:56:58

Daddima grin
I have tried, but, like the oboe, I couldn't get a note out of it!!

Callistemon Wed 25-Mar-20 19:58:53

And no, I didn't redo it

I'm still laughing, thanks.