Northern Ireland

Oh joy, more home schooling - here we go again.

Marie Louise is among the many parents who once again now find themselves under pressure to educate and entertain their children at home due to Covid school closures - all while working too
Marie Louise is among the many parents who once again now find themselves under pressure to educate and entertain their children at home due to Covid school closures - all while working too Marie Louise is among the many parents who once again now find themselves under pressure to educate and entertain their children at home due to Covid school closures - all while working too

It may be a new year, giving us a bright new outlook and fresh opportunities, but for parents everywhere, 2021 begins as the last ended - with life up in the air.

With confirmation yesterday that schools are to remain shut a while longer following the festive holidays, mums, dads, grandparents and guardians were last night once again at the centre of organised confusion.

There's no doubting that 2020 was a difficult for everyone but for parents who found themselves having to home school and also invent and execute a never-ending list of activities to entertain their children due to Covid-19 school closures, it was indeed a battle.

Almost a year on, here we are again.

With remote learning to come into play next week - last minute as usual - I am among those who will now once again find myself continuing to work from the kitchen table while also trying to entertain and educate a four-year-old and a six-year-old.

Last time around, I randomly purchased a trampoline during my weekly shop at Asda at the beginning of the first lock-down and it was a life saver.

The kids spent all their time in the garden, bouncing around and playing games.

Sorted.

However, that was spring and now it's winter, and so, with temperatures starting to dip already, we can forget the trampoline, the frozen slide at the park, the mucky monastery trails and freezing walks along the water's edge.

With no gaming consoles, SKY TV or Netflix in this household, last year we found ourselves relying heavily on arts and crafts and honestly, the thought of getting the Play-do out again just makes me feel ill.

As I was on the only computer in the house during the day, Abbie spent her time drawing and colouring in (glue, paper, foam shapes and glitter everywhere) while James went on daily adventures with his Avenger figures however, more than once, Hulk and Iron Man found themselves fighting the bad guys across my lap top - so inconsiderate.

At night time, Reading Eggs was a winner for us.

The online reading program, aimed at kids aged two to 13, offers hundreds of online reading lessons, phonics games and books and my two just love it.

And, I for one was delighted to have homework packs from school, but who knows what we will receive, if anything, this time around as teachers have been given next to no notice.

We also invested in some traditional board games, DVDs and books but attention spans can run short with kids and so, they weren't always winners.

I don't mind admitting that finding myself facing similar times once again fills me with anxiety - I'm exhausted already.

I know we're lucky because our two can be independent, however, kids need interaction and once again, us parents find ourselves trying to spin a whole dinner set in the air while also still working.

Fingers crossed, these closures won't be for long because if the last home schooling episode taught me anything, it was that children prosper best in school and that's where they need to be.