This trio of grannies set up online classes for 29 grandchildren

File photo: With schools closed and visits to their 29 grandchildren impossible, retired teacher Mindy Wiesenberg and her two sisters refused to let it get them down. Picture: Needpix

File photo: With schools closed and visits to their 29 grandchildren impossible, retired teacher Mindy Wiesenberg and her two sisters refused to let it get them down. Picture: Needpix

Published Mar 23, 2020

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London - With schools closed and visits to their 29 grandchildren impossible, retired teacher Mindy Wiesenberg and her two sisters refused to let it get them down.

So the caring and inspirational trio set up an online "Grandma school" to connect with their grandchildren in a fun and constructive way – and give their eight "frazzled" children an hour’s break from parental duties each day.

"Grandma school" could prove a valuable tool for South African parents as well as many are grappling with ideas on how to keep the little ones occupied during social distancing.

Most of the children live in Israel, where schools shut a week ago amid measures to curb the spread of coronavirus – but three live in the UK and will be joining the lessons from Monday.

Wiesenberg, 63, who lives in Hendon, north London, said she and her sisters Zena Behrman, 65, and Dina Gittler, 58, pooled their knowledge to "create an organised framework and timetable for the grandchildren by giving an online lesson once a day in a subject area that we were familiar with".

Their grandchildren are between three months and 17 years old. The trio decided to tailor the education towards the primary age children – of which there are 12 – as the older ones have school homework. They then fixed a daily slot to suit everyone – 9.30am, which is just two hours later in Israel.

Wiesenberg is encouraging grandparents here to adopt her and her sisters’ idea. "Any grandparent with a hobby can use their knowledge to create an interesting activity session," she said, praising it as an "opportunity for a unique and meaningful bonding".

Daily Mail

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