Why I think learning at home does not have to look like school

This post was sponsored.

It feels like day 50 000 of Lockdown, and my kids are so over it, especially my son. Lockdown fatigue is a real thing and many kids are being more affected by this than adults are.

At the beginning of lockdown, I tried to reorganize my office and create a little corner for my kids to “attend” class. I tried to make it all pretty and educational, so it excites them to be at “school.”

What I slowly realised is that none of this matters to my 4-year-old son! School is completely different from home-schooling for him. He has been over school for weeks now.

I have been trying not to be too hard on him but then I log on to social media and see the activities that other parents are doing with their kids and can’t help but feel a little under pressure to make sure my kids are keeping up with the rest of the world and doing a gazillion activities a day.

The reality is home-schooling has not been a success for everyone and that is okay. Don’t be too hard on yourself or your kids. We are going through a very unique situation and now more than ever, the way we teach and connect with our kids is going to be different because we are all stuck at home and seeing each other a little too much.

I have been reading a ton of articles – all giving a different opinion on how you should or shouldn’t allow more screen time during this period. To be honest, sometimes screen time is what allows me to meet deadlines at work, but it is also what makes homeschooling fun for my kids!

What we need to be wary off is what our kids are consuming daily.

There are a ton of series or shows that can become part of home-schooling like Takalani Sesame that promotes a blend of playfulness and humour with the fundamental lessons that children need to thrive on. These include cognitive, creative problem solving, and socio-emotional skills, while nurturing the foundational values of ubuntu.

Takalani Sesame returns to your home from Monday 1 June on weekdays at 3:30 pm on SABC 2 for its 11th Season with all-new episodes, all new friends, and all-new adventures.

Celebrating their 20th anniversary in South Africa, the Takalani Sesame Muppets will welcome new friends to the neighbourhood and explore the world around them through play, while learning the importance of not giving up when working through a problem.

The new season introduces you to four new stars: the gregarious 6-year-old Basma and her best friend Jad, the self-declared “cute, furry little monster” Grover, and the clucking, bawking, squawking Chicken.

Each episode follows the Takalani Sesame friends as they explore their world through play. Elmo and Zuzu start every episode in their Clubhouse, where a child calls in to invite them for a visit to someplace special around South Africa like a skatepark or the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital, and they decide to use everyday objects to make a gift to bring along, like a drum or maracas. Their Takalani Sesame friends drop in at different points to help them build their special item and solve problems along the way. Each episode ends by going on a fun ride to deliver the item to their new friend, and together they sing along to the vibey Takalani Sesame ubuntu song and showcase some catchy dance moves.

It is programmes like these that help both my sanity and my guilt. My kids can learn and grow while they are being entertained. I don’t have to feel guilty by allowing screen time and this can brighten the monotony of Lockdown.