school Archives - The Mom Hour

posted on September 22, 2020

Home Learning Success Strategies + Our Kids’ Fall Schooling Update: Episode 279

“Zoom school” is in session in both our homes, although the programs and schedules are very different for our six school-aged kids, grades two through eleven. In this week’s episode we check in about how remote learning is going for our elementary, middle, and high schoolers, giving an honest assessment of the areas that are going better than expected (or worse…or just about the same). We also pool our experience to share some strategies for keeping kids motivated and engaged, and recommend some purchases to set up your home as a learning environment.

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posted on September 5, 2020

How To Help Kids Focus At “Zoom School” (And A Few Distance Learning Must-Haves)

My kids–starting second, fifth, and seventh grades this fall–are all learning from home right now. And while I’m in love with some of the cute home learning workspaces I’ve seen shared online, we just moved into this house in July and I don’t even have it decorated from a baseline yet, let alone a refresh for my kids’ distance learning.

So instead of cute decor, my focus has been on pure function. We’ve seen how a few small purchases can make a BIG difference in kids’ ability to sit, focus, and attempt to learn in this crazy environment. Here are a few things we’ve learned so far:

posted on August 7, 2020

COVID-19, Working Moms, and the Child-Care Crisis: Voices 51

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With schools across the country increasingly moving in the direction of online-only attendance in the fall, many moms are asking: “How do we make this work?” While homeschool pods, cutting back hours at work and other creative solutions may be a temporary solution for some families, there are many others for whom these options are not on the table. And there’s no doubt that moms are unfairly shouldering the brunt of this crisis (as we are so often expected to do). In this month’s Voices interview, Meagan talks with Anne Halsall, co-founder and CPO of online child-care directory Winnie; listen as they dig into issues around work, parenting, and inequality that this pandemic has uncovered—and discuss some reassuring news about the safety and availability of licensed daycare to fill some of those gaps.

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posted on July 28, 2020

School Decisions For Fall 2020 (Part 2): Episode 271

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After listening to moms around the country share their feelings about schools re-opening (or not), Meagan and Sarah continue the discussion we started last week by looking at the challenges facing families this fall. We touch on the core drivers of school decision-making–academics, childcare, kids’ social-emotional health, and community health–and talk through the pros and cons of some of the likely learning scenarios on the table for kids. Just like last week, this is an inclusive conversation meant to bring encouragement and understanding, no matter where you are in your school decision for Fall 2020.

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posted on July 21, 2020

School Decisions For Fall 2020 (Part 1): Episode 270

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Virtual, on campus, hybrid, or homeschool? For many families, it isn’t even a choice; it’s whatever the local district decides. For some families, opting out, changing schools, waiting an extra year, or enrolling in an independent study program are options that are still on the table. For everyone, it’s an extraordinarily confusing, stressful, and uncertain time to be looking ahead at Fall 2020. With inclusion, empathy, and nonjudgment leading the way, Meagan and Sarah kick off a two-part series unpacking the challenges of sending kids to school this fall. We talk from personal experience about our “plans” (ha!) for our own kids, and we also bring you the voices of more than a dozen listeners who share what things are like in their communities.

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posted on June 30, 2020

Big Moves, Part Two (Prepping, Packing, Relocating): Episode 267

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Moving while momming is no small task–and we’ve been there, trust us. Meagan has mastered the art of the DIY cross-town move to a new home with a whole bunch of kids; Sarah’s moves have been fewer and farther between, but also farther in distance and bigger in scope. Join us as we continue last week’s discussion about big moves and get into the details of actually packing up and relocating your family.

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Home Learning Success Strategies + Our Kids’ Fall Schooling Update: Episode 279

How To Help Kids Focus At “Zoom School” (And A Few Distance Learning Must-Haves)

COVID-19, Working Moms, and the Child-Care Crisis: Voices 51

School Decisions For Fall 2020 (Part 2): Episode 271

School Decisions For Fall 2020 (Part 1): Episode 270

Big Moves, Part Two (Prepping, Packing, Relocating): Episode 267

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