The owners of a Suffolk parenting magazine and directory have launched a new website to help families with homeschooling during the coronavirus pandemic.

The crisis has caused Toddle About to be put on hold, with its founders switching to promote virtual and online classes for Toddle About clients, as well as starting the new website Family Life at Home.

Those behind the website say it “takes the stress out of homeschooling by making it quick and easy for parents to find good, reliable resources and get help with educating and entertaining their children at home”.

Pia Howe, who runs the Toddle About Suffolk franchise and is based in Bury St Edmunds, said: “For many parents, including myself and my husband David, the idea of homeschooling is, quite frankly, terrifying.

“Unfortunately Covid-19 has made this a reality for the vast majority of parents. As one myself, I found that the online resources and virtual classes have helped to keep the children entertained and continue to contribute to their education.”

MORE: Your home-schooling questions answered - and remember, we can’t do more than our bestFamily Life at Home, which has been realised, built and launched in less than a week, provides the thousands of parents and carers across the UK with a hub to help locate and access an array of online resources to both educate and entertain children of all ages during this difficult time, and also hopefully beyond.

Parents can perform a free text search of all the listings within the Family Life at Home website and they can refine results by the age of their child, the subject they need help with, or the kind of resource they are looking for.

The site also has an ‘Online Classroom’, giving parents a place to ask specific questions and get help with particular problems from teachers and others in the wider parenting community.

The new online resource is constantly on the lookout for businesses that offer educational or entertainment resources online for children that would like to be added to the Family Life at Home website directory.

Tim Freed, Family Life at Home managing director, said: “The coronavirus has caused many businesses to have to reinvent themselves overnight, and Toddle About is no different.

“We have instantly given all of our clients that advertise with us the ability to list their virtual and online classes, and also built and launched a brand-new website for Family Life at Home which already provides lots of great online resources for parents and carers all in one location.

“It’s been a hugely emotional couple of weeks, but I’m really excited to see how this will develop over the coming weeks and months to help support all families and their children.”

Alec Wadey, Family Life at Home Chief techie, added: “This is very much a project to help the parenting community, and we’re hoping parents will help us to build the listings - by sharing the site with their friends and the businesses they know that should be on there.

“Businesses can add themselves to the Family Life at Home website for free by creating an account, or parents can recommend resources to us that they like and we can add them and contact the businesses directly.”

Pia said even though this was a “scary and worrying time, it is also time to reflect and spend quality time with the children and it could very well be a time the children remember as the best time in their life”.

To find out more about Family Life at Home, see the resources available or add your business listing, see here or call 07748 020141.

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