Welcome back to KiddyCharts. Today we are going to be sharing with you a little eBook that a teacher has put together for kids from age 7+. This book was created to help kids cope with homeschooling. Going from being in school every day to not seeing friends, and being taught longer distance can be difficult to understand and cope with.
To get a FREE copy of this eBook – just scroll to the end of this article, and click on the square image.
The eBook is aimed at kids aged 7-11; and tells the story of Parsley Mimblewood.
Parsley has actually been homeschooled all her life and she is pretty good at it! She has created an imaginary guinea pig , alongside two real ones, and three goats that she helps to care for. At the same time, she is solving mysteries with Detective Dracula. This detective is also a figment of her wonderfully active imagination.
Parsley has written all about the things that you need to think about when you don’t go to school – she thinks about a different thing in each chapter of the book:
- How to care for your grown up
- What about your friends
- How to teach yourself to teach yourself better than a teacher could teach yourself
- How to feel joyful, disgusted, angry, sad and hopeful, and
- The last chapter of the book.
How can this book help kids being homeschooled?
There are a lot of children in junior/primary school that have been displaced, and even if they have already learnt resilience at school, it is a difficult time for them. This book helps them to cope with the feelings associated with sudden homeschooling, and gives them a new perspective on it, to give them coping strategies. Each of the different chapters within the book help with different circumstances, or have ideas for kids to help.
How to care for grown ups
This chapter helps to explain what grown-ups might feel like not being able to go out very much; talking about cabin fever and what it all really means for the adults.
In a rather charming way, it explain why grown ups are a little bit like animals when it comes to living their lives, which is why cabin fever can be such a problem for them.
What about friends
Parsley talks about all her imaginary friends here – and she has LOADS of them! Imaginary friends are actually a great way for kids to process their worries, so we shouldn’t be bothered if our children have them. She also likes to chat to her real life friend too – Tui, on her tablet.
How to teach yourself to teach yourself better than a teacher could teach yourself
Parsley – just like any small child, is naturally curious and it is THIS that helps her to stay motivated as a learner. This is a really important lesson for both adults, and our children. What is it that motivated YOU as a learner; whatever it is, it is that which will help you to learn better at home.
Parsley explains it a lot better than me – so go check it out!
How to feel joyful, disgusted, angry, sad and hopeful
We have a lot of emotions to deal with, around home schooling and beyond. Parsley explains how she has used the film Inside Out, and creativity to help deal with her emotions, and express them too.
Sometimes it helps younger children to be able to have something tangible to hold so they can represent and share their emotions more easily. Parsley seems to find this really helpful too.
If you are looking for ideas for this – do check out our printable worry tree as well.
The last chapter of the book – activity ideas
Parsley leaves us all with lots of fun and interesting ideas for activities that we can try out ourselves – why not have a go at some of them?
To download the book – just click on the square image below – and it is YOURS!
This book was written by Mr. Forde, who is a teacher at a primary school in the UK; in North Yorksire to be precise. A part of the UK that I am extremely fond of as my parents currently live there, and I went to university there.
The book started as a story that he would read to his 28 children in class, and now, thanks to the power of the internet, there are kids reading it in New Zealand.
Let’s help to spread the story of Parsley and her family – and thanks to Mickey Forde for creating such a wonderful resource.
We hope you like this eBook to help kids cope with homeschooling. If you do, why not sign up to our weekly (or daily) newsletter for more of the same?
We do have loads of other amazing resources for kids at the moment on the site too. So perhaps explore our site a little more, and see what you like? Perhaps specifically the other printables that we have…
Here are some more suggestions for you at the moment:
More KiddyCharts activities to try
Here are some more ideas for you to try with the children.
Free Covid-19 time capsule worksheets
A great activity to do with the kids to help keep a piece of history, and to record their and your feelings of events.
Self isolation kids activities: 100+ things to do at home #31DaysOfLearning
Ideas to keep you sane while you are indoors.
Free printable learning activities: 31 days of fun for the kids #31DaysOfLearning
Even MORE ideas - one for each day for the next 31 days!
Obviously sudden homeschooling isn’t easy to get through. How about taking a look at some of these other resources that might help you out as a parent too?
Home schooling - more resources
These are some other ideas to help you get through home schooling with your kids - from tips on managing it to timetables and ideas to help kids focus.
Free homeschool timetable: Do you really need one?
Do you need a homeschool timetable now you are being thrown in at the deepend - have a look at this and decide what works best for you!
Are you suddenly homeschooling? Discover tips and resources to help!
Specific tips for you if you find that you suddenly have to manage homeschool and you haven't done it before...
How to Keep Your Sanity While Homeschooling
And we know we love our kids, but we still need to keep sane while we homeschool; so here are some ideas to stop you from going mad!
The most overlooked reason why your kids won't listen, focus or sit still.
Finally, a really important tip to help your kids to stay focused and on point in their schooling.
We do hope you like this fabulous eBook to help kids cope with homeschooling and all the other ideas we have in the post.
Thanks so much for popping by today, and see you again soon.
Helen
Helen Neale
Helen is a mum to two, social media consultant, website editor and a qualified counsellor with experience of working with both children and adults.She is a registered member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapists, with her own private practise. She also freelances with her local Mind organisation.Since giving up being a business analyst when juggling travel, work and kids proved too complicated, she founded KiddyCharts so she could be with her kids, use those grey cells at the same time, and supplement her counselling income.KiddyCharts has reach of over 680k across socials and the site. The site works with big family brands to help promote their services, as well as offering free resources to parents of kids under 10. She is a specialist counsellor for neurodivergent individuals and brings this expertise to her resources and the site. She is also an ADHDer herself.KiddyCharts gives 51%+ profits to charities, focused on supporting mental health and a community in TanzaniaHelen has also worked as a digital marketing consultant (IDM qualified) with various organisations, including Channel Mum, Truprint, Talk to Mums, and Micro Scooters. She loves to be creative in the brand campaigns she works on.Get in touch TODAY!