The COVID-19 pandemic has brought a lot of disruption to our kids’ educations. Many students are receiving their education at home, meaning parents now have to be teachers as well as mom and dad. Working from home on top of this brings a new difficulty to this already challenging time.
Keeping your kids’ education on track is crucial to their future success. With this in mind here are a few ways you can help your kids succeed while working from home.
Keep An Open Dialogue
Talk to your children about their education and their thoughts and feelings on the pandemic in general. You should aim to set aside a time every week where you discuss with your kids how they’re feeling. Let them ask questions and give them honest, age-appropriate answers.
Letting them know that they are always able to ask questions will help them understand this difficult time. Many kids will be confused by the lockdowns and the necessity of studying from home, particularly younger children. Encourage them to ask about any concerns they have and help them to explore their feeling.
Letting your children know it’s okay to be curious about the pandemic will help to dispel anxiety and stress around the subject. Having a comfortable learning environment is key to ensuring that your kids learn well, so providing them with outlets and coping mechanisms for anxiety will be invaluable to their education.
Make Sure You Know The Best Study Techniques
While your kids will still have the help of their teacher over virtual lessons, it will not have the same impact as having a teacher there in front of them to field questions and encourage understanding. It is vital to try and learn as much as you can so that you can help them in their education.
Have a look at these study tips that are useful for students for some great ideas on structure and guidance for studying. Daniel Wong has some excellent resources for students and parents to help children achieve the very best in their educations. Many elements go into a successful education, so making sure you know them will be crucial to your kids’ success.
Encourage Independence
This will be vital for parents that are also working from home. Allow your kids the freedom to organize their own schoolwork, keeping in mind that seven and eight year olds will need more oversight than 15 and 16 year olds.
If you give your kids the power over their education, you will instill in them a sense of responsibility and confidence that they are trusted. This will set them up for success in their future and will help them develop into mature adults. While a routine will be essential to keep your children grounded and maintain a sense of normalcy, allowing them greater freedom in their education can be the perfect way to encourage a love of learning, setting them up for greater success in the future.
