Bay Area families adjust to studying, working under one roof during COVID-19 shelter-in-place

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Millions of Bay Area families are now working and studying under one roof.

Amirah Raveneau-Bey lives in Oakland with her husband and two children.

Her daughter Maya is a 7th grader and her son Joshua is a 4th grader. Now the entire family is trying to adjust to their new schedules from home together.

"I feel like Monday was a test day of the first day of my new job. My new job was being able to figure out how do I plan and manage for all of the family," Raveneau-Bey said.

To organize when to study, take breaks and even walk, Amirah created an excel spreadsheet.

"Our day starts around 8 and I have it mapped out until about 8 at night," Raveneau-Bey said.

RELATED: Coronavirus Updates Live: California students may not return to school before summer, Newsom says

She feels that her daughter can independently study with her classmates on a video platform called Zoom. Her son's 4th grade teacher assigned them packets that Amirah says are more hands on.

"I think that was a little overwhelming yesterday because I got the packet of information and a part of the packet of information I realized, I saw a funny meme that says we're teaching common core to parents that all learned how to add the one," she said. "So I'm just going to have to teach the way I know how to teach. So that was overwhelming. Feeling like my child is prepared for school. At the same time I'm not a teacher."

On Tuesday, the family went outside to study and do work from the backyard.

"Today we're like 'okay, it's nice out lets mix it up, get some fresh air,'" she said. "Working outside in a different environment and see how it works. Yesterday was hard, everyone was trying to be in their space all day and that's when I realized that was really really difficult for us."

In San Leandro, Lehua Lee is suggesting all parents take it easy on their children these next few weeks.

RELATED: Coronavirus in California: Get resources and information about COVID-19

Lee is a 11th and 12th grade high school teacher at Mission Valley ROP.

"I have a senior and I teach seniors, their whole world got turned upside down in a matter of a day," Lee said.

Lee's 17 year-old son Kainoa is at home studying. She says his school and track meet to Irvine was canceled last Friday.

"Things like senior prom being changed, senior cruises being changed and for athletes, kids who have worked for four years to get to a certain point their sport and all of a sudden within a day their sport is gone they don't have that," Lee said.

She says something small to adults may feel like a big deal to children at any age.

"They've lost a lot of their normal ways to relieve stress and their normal social support, so maybe just taking it a little easy on them and I guess in the big scheme of things this is a good time to take advantage of family time," Lee said.