The nationwide lockdown due to the Covid-19 (coronavirus) pandemic has changed many things for all of us. This includes having kids and parents at home way before the Easter holidays.
While some parents are privileged enough to have resources to assist their kids with schoolwork while at home, others don’t.
Johannesburg-based mother Bulelwa Dayimani says even though things are different from usual, she’s adapted to a new normal with her two kids, eight-year-old son Omphile and six-year-old daughter Onalerona. They’re in Grade 2 and Grade R respectively.
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Even though her kids are still in primary school, Bulelwa shares that she has managed to keep them busy. The 34-year-old doesn’t downplay the support her partner Tebogo Maponyane is also playing.
“Fortunately for me there are two parents in the house, which is helpful as I can work while their father can supervise their work,” she explains.
Bulelwa is hands-on when it comes to their education and since they’ve been home, she’s been ensuring they keep the momentum despite the lockdown.
She has even made use of some technological advancements which help the kids learn while they’re home and not just eat, play and sleep.
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“I still assist with certain school activities. I'm also making use of the Spark Schools home-learning portal, which has great learning resources for parents who want to help their kids to continue learning from home. For instance, I downloaded the Khan Academy app which is great for the little ones to learn how to do basic maths, letters, etc.,” she says.
The older one has been given some work at school to do during this time. “Omphile has to do daily activities which were supplied by the school before the shutdown.”
Bulelwa is the first to admit it hasn’t all been smooth sailing. Nonetheless, the obstacles haven’t made her give up trying to keep the kids engaged.
“I also try my best to make them read, but it is a challenge as they only do it for a short period and disengage. Keeping the kids busy is also great to keep them engaged,” she concludes.
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