"Pajamas day is only at the weekend": Three brothers talk about learning at home

Kitchen table instead of school desk: The Geretsried brothers Jonathan, Moritz and Jasper have been buffing at home for three weeks. In conversation with our newspaper, the siblings report on their new everyday life.

Geretsried - Jonathan sometimes has a difficult time with grammar, Jasper misses playing football with friends, and Moritz buffets for a good certificate of transition. Like almost all other students in Bavaria, Jennifer Kübler's three sons have now studied at home for three weeks. On behalf of them, they told our newspaper before the Easter break this Monday what the days at home would look like.

"It's a special, new situation"

"It's a special, new situation," says Jennifer Kübler. All three - Moritz (10) attends the Karl Lederer primary school, Jasper (11) and Jonathan (13) go to high school - have received work assignments from their teachers that they should do at home. To motivate children of this age to do school work with so much free time is not always an easy task. "There are moments when you just don't feel like it," says the mother.

Geretsried: Pupils have the same daily routine

Together, the Küblers found a solution: "For the boys there is a constant daily routine during the week," says the Geretsriederin. The sons get up at the usual time, get dressed and sit down at their desks after having breakfast together. They are buffing in an outfit with which they could also go to school. "Pajamas day is only at the weekend," reveals Kübler.

"Pajamas Day is only at the weekend"

The family internalized the new everyday life relatively quickly. "I think that's pretty good, as it is now with me," says Moritz, the youngest in the house. The certificate of transition is imminent for the fourth grader. "I want to go to high school," says the ten-year-old. Just like his brothers. How the transfer certificates are written is still questionable at the moment, says Kübler. "Since the schools were closed, some grades are missing that would be important for the graduation certificate."

Mother tries to help sons learn

Kübler tries to help her sons learn - and occasionally spits on the Internet when she doesn't know what to do right away. Because she currently works in her home office, she can react quickly to questions. "But not all parents are like that," the mother knows. Technical options such as a functioning printer or an Internet connection are also necessary to be able to process the material communicated by email. "If someone doesn't have it at home, it will be difficult."

Learn at home: email contact with teachers

These technical possibilities are a matter of course for Jonathan. Thanks to his own smartphone, the eighth-grader can exchange information with classmates about the learning material. He also maintains email contact with some teachers. "Some have given us work orders that we should send back to them." Sometimes we were asked to check individual tasks. So far, this has not been a problem for the 13-year-old: "I get through very well." Jonathan needs about three hours a day for schoolwork - compared to the eighth-grade timetable, a clearly thinned-out program. "When the school was just closing, there were more orders," he says.

The exchange is easier for the older students, explains Jennifer Kübler. She suggested to her two younger sons that they could talk to classmates over the phone or via Skype. But the idea met with little love. "If I can't do something on my own, I ask my mom or dad," says Jasper. But that is not necessary too often.

"If I can't do something alone, I ask mom or dad"

When the eleven-year-old sits down at his desk, he stays there "two or three hours" and works through the learning assignments. "Sometimes I feel like it's more than what I would do at school," says Jasper. "But maybe that's because I don't start until an hour later." That was very pleasant, but in principle he would really like to go back to school with his friends. "It's not always fun, but it's better than home schooling." At home, he "sometimes has no motivation".

One advantage of the school closure - which is currently being set until the end of the Easter vacation - "What I can't do right now, maybe I can catch up on vacation," explains Jasper. However, he is not quite sure whether his motivation extends into the holidays. The school books are at least between his toys in the children's room.

Catch up on school supplies during the holidays

The eleven-year-old can use the latter well in the current situation. "When I'm finished with school supplies, I play with my brothers or kick in the garden." Jasper currently has to do without his regular football training. He is looking forward to finally seeing his buddies there again.

After the Corona crisis: finally meeting the buddies again

His brother Moritz is looking forward to school, but not only because of the learning material: Geretsrieder celebrated his tenth birthday a few days ago. "Then we can bring muffins for the others," he says. His classmates also benefit from it when the school opens again.

The corona crisis has not only changed the everyday life of the students. Melanie Dörr has been a nurse for 23 years. The Ickinger works in a Munich clinic. There is no trace of everyday life there any longer. The vendors are also facing new challenges in the Corona crisis. Retail salesman Michael Herbig appeals to customers' reason in a letter.

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