Are you one of the many parents homeschooling since schools closed? Do you have a sharpened sense of respect for the teaching profession? Are those long summer holidays teachers enjoy looking less of a perk and more of a necessity?

Well, fear not, here are some homeschooling tips for stressed-out parents.

1. Get into a routine
By now, as you’ve probably established, you have to set at least a rough timetable.

It’s tough when the 10-year-old gets up at 6.30am as usual and the 12-year-old rolls out of bed at 10am, but try to stick to a routine. Otherwise, the day ends up shapeless and people are still eating cornflakes at 11.30am.

Would they do this if school was open? No, they would not.

2. Do some PE
Next, get those little ones’ hearts pumping.

Joe Wicks has taken the nation by storm. He hosts an online PE session at 9am every school day on his YouTube Channel The Body Coach and, by lunchtime, Wednesday’s had been viewed more than 1.7m times.

Just try not to be jealous of his pristine living room.

3. Make a timetable
Now let ‘the learning’ begin. Start off with subjects that your child likes the most and once they have got going, sneak in bits they don’t like. Teachers advise you to break it up and not to try to do too much at once.

4. Get the right resources
Of course, there is a wealth of teaching materials online including Scoilnet, School Days, and Twinkle. For even more websites to entertain and educate your kids, click here.

5. Be creative
Make your own word searches, particularly around a topic they love. Get them cooking – it teaches numeracy, motor skills and patience. Encourage them to paint or draw something for a relative they cannot see, or plant some seeds and wait for them to grow.

Read more: 9 family-friendly activities to try out while at home

6. Make snack time fun 
Set up a tuck shop. Give your pupil a set daily amount to spend and make healthy items cheap and sugary snacks more pricey. They’ll learn to manage their expenditure and stop pestering you for sweets.

Remember, treats are vital to break up the day.

7. Factor in quiet periods 
Younger members of your house could listen to an audiobook. David Walliams is releasing a free story every day. Everyone needs a break from each other.

Read more: Ryan Tubridy's book recommendations for kids

8. Start a diary
Encourage your child to express themselves in a journal, with words or drawings of how they feel.

This period will one day be taught in the history books and they will be able to pass on their diary explaining what they went through to their children and grandchildren one day.

9. Teach them about wildlife
What better time to look out a window and learn about birds? The RSPB has produced birdwatching sheets for young wildlife lovers. Set them a challenge over a set period to spot as many species as possible.

Alternatively, you could learn more about lions, tigers, elephants and penguins from Dublin Zoo with their new #dublinzoofun activity series where they release an activity workbook themed around one of the animals at Dublin Zoo.

These activity workbooks can be downloaded, printed and easily completed using the facts and information which can be found here and on Dublin Zoo's social media. Fun for all I think!

Read more: 6 live zoo cams that bring exotic animals into your home

10. Be kind to yourself
Remember you are not a teacher, your home is not a school. These are unprecedented times. Take it easy on yourself and your children. They might not remember what you taught them during this time, but they might well recall how you handled it.

11. Watch TV
Yep, you read that right. Starting from Monday, 30th of March on RTÉ2, teachers on the RTÉ Home School Hub will present three short class segments aimed at 1st and 2nd class, 3rd and 4th class and 5th and 6th class. Classes will start each morning from 11am to 12pm, so plenty of time to get a solid breakfast in as well as PE with Joe Wicks.