With the immediate fate of schools across the land hanging in the balance, mums and dads everywhere are once more staring down the barrel of being 24-hour parents and stand-in school supervisors all at once.

Here are a few things that might ease the return of home learning, whatever the age and stage…

1. Factor in fresh air

Whether it’s the school yard or a PE class, every human needs regular dollops of fresh air and exercise, and that goes for kids more than most. Modern leisure pursuits are often complex and tech-heavy, but don’t rule out simpler activities like throwing around a ball or going for a short walk. Children start bouncing off the wall if kept cooped up too long, and they’ll probably take you with them.

2. Provide a clear structure

If there’s one thing all schools provide, it’s a clear, regular structure, and mirroring this is key to turning successful days into successful weeks. Try to maintain the shape of a normal school day – this will remind them they are still students, and should ease the transition back to schooling when closures end.

Children thrive on routine, but so too do adults, and you’ll find your own life easier to structure if it can slot into a (relatively) reliable template. Meal times, bed times, break times – the more consistent the better.

3. Give yourself a break

Most schools allot a half-hour break mid-morning and an hour’s break for lunch – and that’s as important for teachers as it is for children. There’s precisely zero shame in popping them down in front of the TV for a bit when you’re at the end of your tether, and mental health comes first for you as well as them. You’ll be no use to anyone if you’re frazzled by two in the afternoon – least of all your children.

4. Lots of things can be educational

Schooling and education are not the same thing, and although you shouldn’t have to take over lesson plans, there are plenty of ways you can keep your kids engaged. Art class equivalents like drawing and painting can cultivate creativity, while basic cooking skills will probably prove more practical than chemistry GCSE. At the end of the day, kids learn more from their parents than their teachers – whether you like it or not.

5. Be creative with socialising

Your children may be the ones teaching you how to set up group chats in Zoom, but depending on age and inclination, they may need nudging into the weird world of online socialising. Dad jokes and parental prattling is no substitute for a classroom of their peers, and virtual playdates and FaceTiming other family members can help stave off the sting of loneliness.

6. Think carefully about where they work

Home-working children generally need supervision, but if you’re working from home yourself, you may need to find a happy medium between your work needs and theirs. Closed doors and headphones may help – you want to be able to hear just enough to know whether they’re working, but not so much that you’re taking their vocab tests too.

7. Talk to your boss

If you’re working from home and intend to carry on as normal, we salute your bravery, and implore you to reconsider. Your home is about to turn into an office, school, and day-care centre wrapped into one, and no matter how many balls you think you can keep in the air, your work can’t help but suffer. It’s time to have a frank conversation with your boss, who should understand your situation, and set realistic expectations for what you can achieve.

8. Whatever you can do is enough

Mid-pandemic is no time to aim for the stars. Your kids need to continue some sort of education, and you need to not go stark-raving mad. If you can tick both those boxes, you’re doing extremely well.