Episode #187 – Navigating School Closures with Meghan Fitzgerald of Tinkergarten

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Stephanie chats with Meghan Fitzgerald, co-founder of Tinkergarten, to offer advice for parents that are homeschooling due to school closures. She helps parents redefine ‘success’ when it comes to homeschooling, especially if they have limited time to dedicate to their school’s academic requirements. Meghan also shares insights on how regressions can occur as kids process multiple weeks of social distancing. She discusses how parents can best support children through difficult emotions. Meghan also provides ideas for how to make summer fun and meaningful in the midst of social distancing, as well as advice for mentally and emotionally preparing children to return to school.

Topics Discussed:

How to redefine parenting success right now
The fear of your child “falling behind”
How to help your child process difficult emotions
How to foster independent play to give you more space
Ideas to keep summer fun, despite closures
How parents can prepare their children, mentally and emotionally on returning to school

Show Notes:

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This episode’s guest

After 16 years as an educator, curriculum developer and school leader, Meghan has her dream gig—an entrepreneur/educator/mom who helps families everywhere, including hers, learn outside. Prior to Tinkergarten, Meghan worked as an Elementary School Principal, a Math/Science Specialist & and a teacher in public and private schools in NY, MA and CA. She earned a BA with majors in English and Psychology at Amherst College, an MS in Educational Leadership at Bank Street College, and was trained as a Forest School leader at Bridgwater College, UK. When she is with her kids, Meghan is that unapologetic mom who plays along with them in mud, dances in the pouring rain, and builds a darn good snow igloo with her bare hands.