Simple Tips to Teach Your Kids at Home During COVID-19

Parents with K-12 kids are among the hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. Not only do they have to maintain a balance between parenting, working, and managing household chores, but they also have to teach now. Social distancing norms have led to a closure of schools, and kids are made to continue their education online, thus presenting a new challenge to parents.

Parents who aren’t certified teachers find it all the more overwhelming to teach their kids at home during COVID-19, and understandably so. If you have a K-12 kid at home and are wondering how to ensure that their learning isn’t affected by the pandemic, we’ve created a cheat sheet just for you! These simple tips can go a long way towards ensuring that you manage your own work as well as household chores, and still teach your kid effectively at home.

Create a schedule

Establishing a schedule and following it regularly will make it easier for your kid to get accustomed to online learning at home. Take their curriculum into consideration along with your own workload before devising a schedule. If you have more than one kid, you will have to dedicate an equal amount of time to each of them, so plan accordingly. You could attend to one kid while the other works independently, and sometimes have joint study sessions for concepts and topics they can learn together.  

Plan together with your kids

When creating a schedule for your kids, it is crucial to involve them in the planning process. Check with them if they would like to finish studying at one stretch, or would like to take breaks in between 2-3 sessions a day. Empowering your kid to plan his/her schedule will help in developing responsibility with the freedom of choice you offer them. It is also important to identify your child’s interests and find creative methods to incorporate tough subjects like math and science into activities they enjoy participating in.

Use online resources

The number of resources for online learning is increasing by the day. There are plenty of online learning courses and programs that allow children to study independently while parents go about their own work. You could enrol your child into an online education course, or even refer to online material to teach them on your own.

Maintain flexibility

The online learning schedule you create for your kids during the pandemic need not mirror their regular schedule. Be flexible with the schedule and prioritize tasks as per your needs. For instance, if you have a lot of work this week and cannot dedicate enough time to your kids, you can focus on your work during the week and move your kids’ online learning session to the weekend. You could also adjust your own schedule and work in the evening so that your child’s learning schedule can be accommodated during the day. The key is to be flexible. 

Don’t ignore your mental health

It’s only normal for parents to feel overwhelmed during uncertain times like these. Please remember that your mental health is of utmost importance. In case you or your child feels frustrated with the schedule, take a break, do something fun and return to the schedule the next day.   

Although online learning comes with its set of challenges, the easy accessibility to expert online tutoring services offers some respite to working parents. Advancements in technology have made it easy for students to learn from the comfort and safety of their homes. All that’s required is a laptop and an internet connection. If you’re struggling with managing your kid’s education along with all your other responsibilities, an online learning course for your child would be the best bet during these time.