How to "fill" the calendar now

One thing all parents are struggling with right now? The feeling that we are not doing enough to enhance learning at home for our kids. Increased screen time and indoor living can make any parent feel like they are failing to give their child adequate learning opportunities. But there are more bright moments in the day than we realize.

With the new month approaching, this is the perfect time to look at our (relatively empty) calendars. The place that was once overflowing with scheduled activities and programs now looks rather bare.

But what if we changed the way we used our calendars?

Rather than using these tools to plan ahead, we could take a minute at night to jot down the little learning moments that happened that day. The butterfly we noticed on our walk and stopped to watch. The impromptu ocean voyage that happened on the living room floor, complete with paper-towel-roll telescope. Or even the extra books we read at night because bedtime is now ridiculously late.

As parent-teachers, we have the advantage of finding learning moments throughout our lives, not just during class time. Writing little moments down at the end of every day might begin to reassure us that we are in fact doing enough - and remind us that learning at home is full of daily surprises that unfold along with the calendar.