Our four children have no space to run around. It’s harder for us to fall asleep. Their emotions go up and down.

The good news is we have adjusted to our new lifestyle, and we have learned to enjoy every moment and count our blessing every day. I know you can do it as well.

I have gathered the best free resources and created a 4-week Curriculum Map for you to start home-school during quarantine. You can download and use right away without spending any extra time making a plan.

*Please scroll down to download this FREE Curriculum Map*

Our Life in Hong Kong During Coronavirus

No one wants to be stuck at home for weeks or even months and yet, we are forced to do it right now to protect our health and each other.

Generally, we do spend a lot of time at home, teaching, learning, playing, and spending time together, we would still get out every day and get some exercise and some fresh air. So having to restrict our time outside has been a challenge and not something we looked forward to.

Time outside the house was relaxing and enjoyable. My kids would play at the park for at least an hour a day, it was time they could be free and explore and I could enjoy the chatting with other moms.

Bedtime used to be a lot smoother as well, the playtime allowed my kids to tire themselves out and help them sleep, especially my two-year-old.  Now, it is a struggle to get him to go to bed on time.

Boredom is also a regular thing, which was fine, but there is a lot of limitations to living in a packed apartment with very limited space.

Plus all the stress that comes from the news and rumors, not knowing when everything will calm down and be safe again. I finally had to stop myself from receiving news updates for a while.

But, after a couple of weeks, we started to figure a pattern and made adjustments to our lifestyle of being at home all the time.

We made a daily schedule for my kids, giving them more responsibilities and things to work on.

It has had made a huge difference.

When kids have a purpose in their lives, they are more active and happy.

Of course, they still had tons of time to play.

Now, it is just me and three kids all day. (It’ll be a temporary family situation) I am able to manage it on my own.

I believe we all need a plan and a new routine to make everyone happy and active.

Related Post: 13 Tips for Surviving Both Homeschooling and Working from Home

Homeschooling Challenges I Face during Coronavirus

•  All extra activity was canceled and it’s hard to find a replacement. For example, going out to play, grocery shopping, church service, meeting with friends, eating out, etc.
• Kids aren’t active enough
• Overloaded screentime
• They fight and get upset more often

The Blessings we found

• Extra family time
• A perfect moment to talk about what to do and prepare during crises
• Kids are more aware of hygiene and health
• Everyone tries to eat healthier and sleep more
• My kids create tons of interesting and fun activities to do
• My kids protect each other by reminding each other to wash their hands or not to touch anything when we are out
• My kids read a lot
• We are all feeling more grateful for what we have

Freebies: 4-Week-Curriculum Map

Once I came up with a new schedule with a reward chart for each of my kids after 3 weeks of self-quarantine, things changed.

We had our life back, we were more organized and happier. So I would like to share with you a 4-week-curriculum map with a weekly reward chart to start. And then, during those 4 weeks, you can have time to face your challenges or do any preparation without worrying too much about your kids.

If you prefer to watch, I did a Facebook Live HERE to explain how this curriculum map works.

I have gone through this already, I know how it felt. So here it is, the 4-week-curriculum map:

Who is the Curriculum Map for?

• Children (age 3-8)
• Anyone who wants to homeschool their children during the quarantine
• Those who need a plan for their children with educational activities and meaningful things to do
• Those whose children are learning either English &/ Chinese (if you are not teaching any Chinese to your kids right now, it’s ok. You can sub other activity of that day, or simply enjoy those Chinese activities as well. Why not?)

What is in the Curriculum Map?

• 2 Levels of Curriculum: (age 3-5) & (age 6-8) learning either Mandarin/ Cantonese
  (If you aren’t teaching Chinese, you can still use this map. Just skip the Chinese part!)

• 7 Language versions of a Good Job Weekly Chart: to help your kids create a flexible schedule every week

English
Traditional Chinese
Traditional Chinese with Jyutping
Traditional Chinese with Pinyin
Traditional Chinese with Zhuyin
Simplified Chinese
Simplified Chinese with Pinyin

• A list of our Favorite Online Programs (Science, Art & Music, Exercise for kids, Mandarin & Cantonese,  Crafts, English, Maths, Piano/Music, Typing, and Coloring Pages.)

How Does it Work?

Curriculum Maps

1. Pick a curriculum map that fits your child. If you have multiple children, they can use the same map or each child has their own.
2. Print out the curriculum map, and hang it up so your child can see it and be excited about it.
3. In the digital copy, click on the activity listed in each day.
4. You will either need to print some printables, follow simple instructions for an activity, or prepare to watch an educational video.
5. Feel free to explore each topic further with your child. Allow your child to lead, and see what they want to discover and learn.

Good Job Weekly Charts

1. Pick the version of the good job chart and print them out for each child.
2. Sit down with your child and plan 8 activities to do each day for the coming week. And come up with a reward with them as well.
3. They can pick 2 kinds of chores, 4  learning activities, and 2 slots of fun activities.
4. For those who have younger children, you can easily block off certain activities on a certain day. Just pre-fill the box for your child, and they don’t have to overdo it.
5. Remind your child to check it off, or fill the boxes with stickers, stamps…  during the week.
6. Reward them after they finish the chart each week.

Suggested Rewards for Finished the Good Job Weekly Chart

• Stay up late
• Let them choose what to eat for dinner tomorrow
• Bonus screen time
• 30 minutes of one-on-one time with you
• Treat
• Pick what board game to play in the family game night
• Extra responsibilities
• Extra video chat with friends and families
• Play crazy in the bedroom

Sign Up & Download Here

I hope this 4-week curriculum map can help you adjusting this crazy time of your life and make it better. I hope that no matter what challenges you are facing right now, you are able to figure it out and get support. 

What kind of educational resources are you looking for? 

What resources would you like me to create to help to smooth your days at home?

(Please leave a comment below and I will reply to you personally!)

You Might Be Interested

Blog Posts

• How to Write a Year-Long Bilingual Homeschooling Plan
• How to Start Teaching Chinese at Home
• 13 Tips for Surviving Both Homeschooling and Working from Home
• An Interview about My Homeschooling life in Hong Kong
• How to Create a Language-Rich Environment to Learn Chinese at Home
• Create a Routine with Appropriate Activities
• Ten Best Activities You Can Do as a Family to Enhance Chinese Learning
• How to Homeschool for Free During a School Closure from Oaxacaborn
• Free Educational Resources for Kids During Coronavirus Quarantine from New York Family
• Free Resources for Home Education from That Bald Chick
• 30+ Ways to Enjoy Life when You have to Stay Home from Hall of Fame Moms

Free Printable

• Homeschooling Survival Kit
• Chinese Theme Packs
• Guess How Much I Love You
• Pretend Play: Chinese Printable
• Easy Chinese New Year’s Rounded Lanterns to Make with your Kids
• 100+ Chinese New Year Activities for Kids to Gain Chinese Cultural Experiences
• The Best Chinese New Year Traditions and Activities to Do with Your Kids
• 5 Steps to Help Kids Memorize the Chinese Multiplication Table
• Calendar Time : Months of the Year {in Chinese & English} from my TPT Store

YOU ARE NOT DOING IT ALONE

Join my Facebook support group to meet and get connections with parents and educators with the same goals.