SAN DIEGO — With schools closed nationwide, millions of parents, including here in San Diego, have been forced to stay at home with their kids.
Some are struggling to find ways to keep them educated, as well as entertained during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Our own Shannon Handy has some tips on how to make it a bit easier. Her two kids are three and a half months and almost three. Granted, the baby doesn't need quite as much attention as the toddler does.
Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to keep her entertained.
"If your kids are anything like mine, they may be going a bit stir crazy," said Handy.
With day cares and school districts across the county shut down for at least the next three weeks, parents are scrambling to figure out how to keep their little ones occupied.
For younger children, they typically like a variety of options - from arts and crafts, to reading, and some fresh air.
As for older kids, it's a little different.
“I get bored very easily and my parents don’t like me being lazy in school," said Patrick Henry High freshman Nicolas Solis.
The San Diego Unified School District has provided ideas on their website for Pre-K through high school. That includes everything from math lessons to Youtube links aimed at physical education. It's helpful to come up with a lesson plan, or daily schedule. Many families have designed one with their kids’ input.
"We have academic time," said Solis. "We have free time. We have quiet time for like 30 minutes, [like] reading and doing puzzles."
Psychologist and parenting expert Reena Patel explained why having a schedule is key.
"Why is structure important? If we just go into treating this like a vacation, then it's gonna be hard to pull our children back in, so let’s go ahead and start those rules and make them visual," said Patel.
Outside of school districts, there are plenty of other free online sources that can help, like Scholastic, which offers project ideas, as well as Duolingo, which provides language lessons.
These sites are often used by parents who already homeschool their kids.
RELATED: San Diego school officials discuss learning opportunities, meal distribution amid school closures
If you don't have access to the internet, Comcast and Spectrum are offering it for free during the pandemic.
“It's just so nice to see our community coming together and helping one another out," said Patel.
Keep in mind, none of the schools can require that your kids complete assignments, but it's recommended.