December 5, 2020 Leave a Comment
The current coronavirus pandemic has been overwhelming for many of us. Not only do we have to work from home now, which adds a lot of stress on its own, but we also have to worry about our children, who, since the beginning of the pandemic, still haven’t figured out, how to tackle remote learning.
But the effect of the pandemic on students globally is so negative that many of them consider leaving school for good.
The Wall Street Journal reports that, since its inception, the pandemic sent home over 1.5 billion of students, and predicts that many children, especially from low-income families, will stop their education completely because they don’t have the resources and the motivation to continue their education.
Besides financial hurdles, there’s also an emotional aspect to it. When forced into their homes, students soon realized that the education system was not ready for virtual learning, and the entire process quickly turned into chaos. So, in a world, where adults cannot manage this situation, how can we expect kids to do it?
Virtual learning is new for many children, and the pandemic adds stress to it. Unfortunately, teachers cannot help all the students to adjust to this situation, no matter how hard they try. That’s why it’s a task for parents to help children assimilate.
3 Ways Parents Can Support Kids During Virtual Learning
In today’s article, we’ll take a look at how you, as a parent, can support your kids during virtual learning and make sure they don’t lose their motivation to keep studying.
1. Create a Routine and Follow It Together
Because of the rapid changes connected to the pandemic, your children’s mental health is also suffering. In their life before the coronavirus, they were used to certain daily activities. But now they don’t feel safe anymore as they have lost something they were used to.
You can bring them a feeling of safety back by building a routine.
According to psychologists, a consistent routine helps children adjust quicker because they feel safe following the same pattern of activities every day. In other words, with a routine, your children get a safe space for learning and growing.
So, sit down with your child and make a schedule of all learning day activities. Define the following points:
- How will my kid’s morning start? Think about when your kid should wake up, wash themselves, get dressed, and have breakfast.
- Where will my kid study? Assign separate space in your house where your child can attend virtual classes with minimum distractions. This space should be further away from the one you use for your remote work.
- How many breaks should my kid have? Define the time for learning and the time for breaks. Make sure that the breaks between classes are filled with activities as well. For example, if it’s warm outside and your house has a backyard, your kid can spend 15 minutes playing there.
- When should my child do their homework? Give your child a time span, within which they should complete their homework without getting distracted by other activities.
At first, you’ll notice that your child is struggling to adjust to the new routine. If it happens, you can try the instant gratification approach. For example, you can reward your kid with a star for every completed milestone in the routine.
2. Provide Your Kids with the Necessary Learning Tools
Because teachers usually provide students with all educational materials in the classroom, your kids might not know about the resources they can use to make virtual learning easier.
If you’ve noticed your child struggling with certain tasks, you need to do a bit of research to help them make the learning process more effective.
For instance, if your teenager is struggling with writing tasks, you can help them write the best essays using tools like Grammarly or Hemingway App. It would also be good to show them that they have free access to dictionaries like Merriam-Webster and Longman online, which can come in handy during writing tasks.
Besides, teach your child how to take advantage of free educational materials available online. For example, if your child spends a lot of time watching YouTube videos, show them that they can also spend this time getting a better idea of topics they don’t understand. This way, you’re also teaching your child how to be creative with the resources they already have.
3. Promote Growth Mindset
The points that we mentioned above are, without a doubt, crucial to help manage online classes for kids. But if your child still feels unmotivated and apathetic towards the idea of virtual learning, you need to work together to change their mindset.
Try to teach your child how to see challenges as opportunities and let them see this change as beneficial. But, most importantly, be an example of persistence and positivity to them. Your kid absorbs your energy like a sponge, so inspire them with your positive attitude.
Wrapping Up
Even though we’ve been living in lockdown for several months, it’s still hard for many of us to adjust, especially our children. It’s understandable why they are losing motivation to study. Adults, too, are still struggling to figure everything out.
Nevertheless, getting an education is still important for your children’s future. They cannot lose an opportunity to learn because of the pandemic that will ultimately end. So, show your children all the love and support you have to help them adjust to this difficult situation and keep learning.
Author Bio: Erica Sunarjo is a professional writer and editor at Supreme Dissertations. She is also a regular contributor to several websites, where she gives students tips on how to write a term paper, various types of essays, and literature reviews.
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