Irish parents join homeschooling groups in their thousands during Covid-19 pandemic

Home school groups saw their numbers double with over 10,000 people coming together to share advice and practices for teaching kids who could no longer attend school. Picture: iStock

Over 60,000 parents in Ireland have joined Facebook groups about parenting since lockdown began.

The number shot up during the early phases of the Covid-19 pandemic as parents became teachers and carers for their children.

According to the social media giant there are now over 300,000 members of these groups devoted to supporting parents from sharing tips and advice and links to kids art classes, to sharing information about local retail hours and how to claim allowances.

Home school groups saw their numbers double with over 10,000 people coming together to share advice and practices for teaching kids who could no longer attend school.

Ger Moloney, a community leader who runs the Mums of Glanmire group said they had 80 members in 2015 but the number has soared to over 7,600 news mothers in recent times.

"During lockdown, the Group was more active than ever,” Ger said.

"Mums across Glanmire in Cork came online to seek support from one another.

"One idea posted in the Groups sparked the creation of a local fairy trail to keep our kids occupied during lockdown with hundreds of members and their children creating handmade fairy doors for the trail.

"Lockdown was an incredibly hard time for parents however through this Group, we felt like we were in it together.” 

Staycations were mentioned over 400,000 times in Facebook posts and comments between March and September. Picture; David Creedon / Anzenberger

With the easing of restrictions, parents began to look at ways of taking a break with their little ones before the return to school.

Staycations were mentioned over 400,000 times in Facebook posts and comments between March and September.

Kellie Kearney, the community leader of the Adventures of Eire group said in the last few months they saw a surge in parents asking for recommendations for family staycations and activities.

"There are over 10,000 members in the Group so there’s a wealth of advice for people who want to visit family hotels, camping spots, restaurants and hidden gems like playgrounds and local day trips", she said.

"For me, social media is a safe space to feel connected to a community, even when we have to stay apart. Our community has helped reignite a love for Ireland for many families who chose to holiday here this year.”