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Strike solutions for the stay-at-home parenting se

Millennial Mom columnist delves into the possibility of a teachers' strike

Next week, the lion’s share of children in this province should be heading back to school. And while we all hope they do, anything is possible. Which is leaving a lot of parents somewhat – if not completely – panicked. 

Receiving $40 a day for every child under the age of 13 might seem like a reasonable answer for the government, but the last time I checked, there wasn’t an excess of daycare spaces in this town. Is there a huge waiting list of tutors willing to take on thousands of local kids come Sept. 2 that we simply don’t know about?

One disillusioned family I know is planning a vacation to Disneyland right when school is supposed to return. More parents – those who don’t have several extra thousand dollars laying around – are just throwing their hands up in the air and hoping for some magical resolution to this educational disaster. 

Some folks will be relieved to learn that the recreational services branch of the district will be offering day camps for the first two weeks of September, and will add more if necessary. 

This may help some parents who are caught in a busy work schedule and have no way of caring for their child(ren) during the day, but what is the best strategy for stay-at-home moms and dads? 

My best advice to you is to establish a consistent routine/schedule for your days and maintain it. By doing so you – and the kids – will find the time less stressful as you navigate this strike together. Maybe you will even enjoy it?

If you are keen to offer your child educational opportunities on your own, consider taking a page from homeschooling families. The first thing you will notice is that a lot less instructional time is required when you reduce the “class” size from 25 to 2. What takes six-plus hours to accomplish in an institutional setting can easily be reduced to two or three. 

Choose a fixed start time close to the time school would normally begin – and then leave the house. Take a half-hour walk with your children before you begin any studies to give them time to wake up and come into their bodies. Research has proven that movement – particularly anything that works both sides of the brain and ideally offers some cross-lateral integration – does wonders by preparing the brain for learning (look up Brain Gym while the kids are in the library doing their own research). 

You may decide to tackle one big project over the next few weeks, so perhaps your destination is in fact the library, but it could very well be the estuary, a local farm, stream or your own backyard. In Squamish, we are blessed to have a plethora of natural wonders from which to learn. Don’t be afraid to get dirty – roll up your sleeves and dig in.

Kirsten Andrews offers Simplicity Parenting courses, workshops and private consultations in the Corridor and Lower Mainland. Visit Sea To Sky Simplicity Parenting on Facebook or www.SeaToSkySimplicityParenting.com.

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