Is your new job title "Principal Mommy" or "Principal Daddy?" 

Transitioning from your normal day job to a full-time teacher and tutor can be HARD, especially when your kids look at their home as a place to relax and have fun. If your students (I mean children) are having trouble focusing, here are

6 easy ways to go from a 5-hour recess and 1-hour studying to a real day at school:

1. Create a REASONABLE Schedule -- and stick to it! Having a routine will be difficult at first, but it will help create a sense of structure to your school day. The most important thing to remember is to keep it reasonable. You don't have to start school at 9am. If it is normal to wake up at 10am now, make sure you and your children have a good breakfast and start school an hour later. And yes, LEGOS ARE an acceptable extra-curricular.

2. Keep Discipline In the Classroom -- I'm sure we've all experienced our children's teachers saying our children are angels in the classrooms, and it has been a shock because they are... not-angels at home. Having discipline in the classroom will help children realize there is a time for work and a time for play. If a child is "tardy", dock 5 minutes off of "recess." Have a bell and let your child ding it between classes. It's fun for them and works for you. (But maybe put the bell on top of the refrigerator when school is out of session.)

3. Create a Reward Chart -- Having a visual representation of your conquests is rewarding for anyone - regardless of age. Having and displaying a reward chart for good behavior, following the schedule, correct answers, etc. is a great way to motivate your child to take home-schooling seriously.

4. Divvy up the responsibilities -- Just like in school when students are line leader, caboose, paper collector, etc., give your little ones a weekly responsibility. Some ideas include: Lunch Lady/Mister (set the table for lunch (heck, and dinner)), Bell Manager, Classroom Organizer (more fun than Janitor), or let your child choose! You can write the titles on a slip of paper, draw them at random to assign a responsibility for that day or week.

5. Make it Fun -- Watch documentaries, mix art and music together, take science class outside, incorporate 5 minute dance parties to keep moving, write hand-written letters to relatives, read books together. Think outside the box to come up with crafty, hands-on activities that can be educational and fun.

6. Make Time for Yourself -- Easier said than done, I know. But how can you take care of everyone else in your household if you don't take care of yourself first? Make sure you have time every day to take care of your mental health, and keep it as part of your routine. In the morning I wake up, open the windows, make (caffeinated) tea, do 10 minutes of yoga and read my daily devotion. This is my 20 minutes and sets the tone for my day. What's yours?

As parents (or should I say Super-heroes in disguise), having to balance work, child care, housekeeping and home-schooling during the pandemic may be depleting your energy and patience. It is normal. If you DO need a helping hand, check out our Genius Drops and Calmify children's vitamin supplements to give your child that extra boost. To keep infection and harmful bacteria at bay, check out our Immune Boost blend.