Corona virus - How can we help grandchildren remotely?

I'm in England, and my grandchildren are being given work to do on their laptops, as well as written work in exercise books

Schools should offer ways of working but you could do other things to distract them. Video calls where you read to them or show them something creative to do. You could even have a video sing song.

I must be a poor granny, as it would never occur to me to help with my grandchildren’s schooling! I think the school and parents will manage without me.

I'd be exactly the same.

Leave the schooling, they can do this on-line or in the future, Just reassure them that thing will turn out alright. Must be terrifying for so many children the way things are, they need to feel free to ask all the questions and have loads and loads of love and re-assurance

I am planning to set up a fun project with both grandchildren, based on things we have done together in the past.

The purpose is not educational but more to encourage dialogue with DGC. We are having family skype conversations and DGS, in particular has not really quite got the purpose of phone calls and I was thinking if we had a joint fun project, he could tell me about all that he as done and I can insert my pennyworth. It is based on the fact that we are both list makers and we have done this kind of project before when I visited.

Ask children if they would like to write down things that are scaring them now.
Also, make and obtain a worry monster. Some sort of soft toy with a large mouth. Each night they can place or talk their worries to this, and the monster eats them up, so that by morning,those worries are all consumed.
Do not assume that because children are not talking about their fears, that they do not have them , in fact any bottling up of these is far more concerning.
As far as education, do practical maths - how much wallpaper will this wall need, how much curtain material for that window, helping to weigh out food for recipes, etc. etc.

The Scouts have made lots of ideas free online for people to download. Sorry, I don't know the link but I've expect Google would find it.

My youngest GD is in total lockdown in Spain as we are in France. We are doing a joint project on the Tudors to learn about English history, improve her writing in English and practise desk top publishing. Eldest granddaughter is doing A levels and I am reading (mostly re-reading) her set books to help her with her essays. The other two haven't asked for any help yet.
We see them only rarely in the flesh as we are in three different countries so actually I am talking to them more on FaceTime than normal. We are also setting up Zoom so we can have whole family teleconferences.

The family in Spain have been shut in their flat for two weeks now with only one adult allowed out occasionally to go shopping.
They are finding that routine is everything. They keep to set hours for lessons, time for exercise on the Wii and time for sunshine on the balcony. My grandson has ASD and found it very hard at first, but he has got used to it now and is doing video conferencing with his friends.

My grandsons are doing some lessons at home, and I contribute by sending them a Word of the Day via WhatsApp video. I choose daft words that they will enjoy repeating, but which will hopefully add to their useful vocabulary at the same time - if they remember them... It's good for me too - browsing the dictionary every day for new words is very educational!

I'm posting a few vegetable seeds to our youngest to be planted in pots. You never know some may grow!

You can help by not "helping"
Really. They are being bombarded with suggestions and ideas and "help"
Ease up dont be another source of overwhelming homeschool "help"

& please dont post non essentials. Post workers are begging people not to. They are leaving their families so that essentials can be delivered

Ask children if they would like to write down things that are scaring them now

Thats basically telling children that they should be scared, even if they werent in that moment.
Children often people please and will then find something to be scared about for your approval

If there is any lesson to be learnt from Covid then surely it is that sometimes the most helpful thing to do is nothing.

Just be gran. Say hi. Keep in touch socially

notanan2 good posts and I agree. My 11 year old DGS is overwhelmed with the amount of school work and homework he has been set. He's a bright boy but to meet deadlines its requiring six to eight hours of screen time daily. He has a sensible Mum who will put her foot down with school if it doesn't settle down soon.

Yesterday I wrote proper old fashioned letters to 3 of my DGC, something they rarely get these days. It was a joy to write them, tailored to their ages and I hope they will write back. They are keeping a journal of their thoughts and feelings in these strange weeks/months so the letters can be included in those. Another 3 to write today, different GC.

It was a joy to write them, tailored to their ages and I hope they will write back

By photographing and sending digitally hopefully.

Sorting machines go fast and make solid particles airbourne.

Post workers are leaving THEIR families so that essential signed documents and insurance claims etc can get through

No, notanan2. Real letters, they have quite enough screen stuff to deal with as I said before. Proper advice sought and taken.

There is still a great amount of junk mail coming in the post each day
Our grandchildren have had mixed results with the home schooling. The sixteen year old has a lot of set work and is doing well. The Eleven year old has been told to look at U Tube. Something wrong there.

As I said on another thread:

It is safe to recieve post yes. But anyone who is going to work is risking themselves and their families.

So using them for non essential deliveries, just because its safe for you and yours to send/recieve, is horribly selfish.

Would you still do it if it was people in your GCs household who had to go out to the sorting offices or on deliveries?

notanan2 that's a pretty massive overreaction to the sending of ONE envelope to a household that receives a fair bit of mail each day. To call me "horribly selfish" is without foundation and frankly plain rude.

This is the first thread I have contributed to since I joined, and I’m already wondering if I should bother any more. Most of us are just trying to stay connected with our grandchildren and it’s depressing that this should be interpreted so unkindly.