In early March, our entire education and childcare system changed overnight. Families were mandated to keep their children at home, follow remote learning plans and simultaneously continue their full-time jobs remotely with no preparation and little guidance. As an educator with expertise in homeschooling, families began approaching me to ask how they could possibly juggle a full-time job, full-time childcare and remote schooling, while also dealing with the stress this new situation this was causing them and their children. While I wasn't sure how this could be accomplished, I knew it was something many brilliant homeschoolers had found a way to achieve with time and patience. I decided to reach out to the homeschooling and parenting community to see if I could find a way to help families get a little more balance back in their lives. I posted in a couple online parenting groups asking for ideas for activities to keep kids busy while parents were working from home. I received nearly 2,000 suggestions! So, then I started using a survey that was linked to a google spreadsheet so I could collect all the ideas in one place.... Pretty soon, the spreadsheet was crashing from nearly 3,000 visits a day. People started suggesting different ways to filter the information, like ages, level of parent involvement required, indoor or outdoors, screens or none. So, I teamed up with Product Manager and supermom @michlegere, found four volunteer developers @neve_foresti , @kevinkennis and @joanna_anderson and @tammy_gu - and we built a curated directory of activities for kids to do while parents are working. To help give families more nuanced support, we asked amazing volunteer writers and organizations with expertise in homeschooling and childhood education to develop in-depth guides to help parents navigate these waters for the first time (Modulo.app , Schoolclosures.org, Promise Venture Studios, Wonderschool, and Foublie). A special thank you to @melissa_iftimie and @8ennett and @lesleyk for sharing your talent with this cause! And to the incredible @rebecca_fu for generously taking time out from her demanding life as a college student at Cornell to help us develop a social media presence. @ericries has been a huge support from the start as a product expert and parent, coming up the with the idea of developing a truly comprehensive resource to support families and advising us on the development of the product every step the way. Here are a few of the comments we’ve received from parents so far: “This is so beyond. You are unreal and I’m so deeply grateful. I almost started crying. This is so incredibly helpful for parents with kids spread apart in ages. It just makes it so easy. I can’t imagine the work you put into this. It’s so humbling...THANK YOU!” “Works like a dream! I have a 2 and 3 year and I’m running out of things to do so I’ll totally be using this” “You are incredible! This is a DREAM!” “I am so impressed that you turned your spreadsheet into this website! So awesome!” "I checked out the code spark app for my boys. They are 4 and 5, so for their tech time today I have them exploring with that app. 🤞🏽🤞🏽 so far so good.” “I love people like you who just get it done. Thank you!” “this is freaking amazing - thank you!” We are actively seeking feedback to help make this guide more helpful to families. It is constantly evolving as the crisis unfolds. Please take a look at the website, let us know what you think and if you have any suggestions. Also, we're always looking for volunteer writers, so if you want to write a blog and get your name out there writing about a cool activity or issues relevant to working from home with kids, let us know! Last but not least, make sure to add your favorite activity for working from home with kids so other families can benefit from your knowledge and creativity!

Manisha Snoyer

The Definitive Guide to Homeschooling

Maker

5yr ago

Rebecca Fu

The Ultimate Guide to WFH with Kids

As a current student, it's so easy to fall behind on schoolwork and curriculum when trying to learn from home. So I know that parents right now are absolute superheroes for keeping their kids educated and engaged while balancing their WFH lifestyles. I'm glad I got to be a part of this!

Michelle Legere

@rebecca_fu Thank you for all your help! These past 6+ weeks show what dedication and teamwork can build.

As a Product Manager and mom of 3 tweens, I lived “The Ultimate Guide to Working from Home with Kids” while we built the website and expanded its content. Many of the articles resonated with me and helped my family overcome some of the challenges we currently face. With the continued support of our partners, childhood education experts, and parents, we look forward to building a community and sharing additional content and resources with you all.

@michlegere You've done such an extraordinary job building this Michelle. Thank you for being so critical to developing this vital resource for families.

The Ultimate Guide to WFH with Kids

Awesome ways to engage your kids when you work-from-home

Awesome ways to engage your kids when you work-from-home

The Ultimate Guide to WFH with Kids

Awesome ways to engage your kids when you work-from-home

Awesome ways to engage your kids when you work-from-home

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