As the 2020-21 school year kicks into gear, it is undoubtedly different than any other year for kids attending school either physically or remotely. The implications of the COVID-19 pandemic have altered educational institutions and opportunities tremendously.
As parents, with your child’s best interest in mind, you may be asking yourself how you can best help them navigate through these uncharted waters. Fear not, as a well thought out plan as a parent can put your child on the right path to a fulfilling and productive school year, even from your living room. From daily routines to scheduled play-groups or lunch time via Zoom with friends to stimulate interaction, the options are almost limitless.
Get Into Routines
Think to yourself what you do every morning when you wake up. Chances are you start your morning routine by rolling out of bed to the sound of an alarm, scrolling through the news or emails, making a cup of coffee and then end by getting ready for the day. This is something you may have come accustomed to and if you don’t do it your day might get thrown off in some way.
Since we are creatures of habit, you often have a series of routines throughout your day that you subconsciously do with or without thinking too much about it. Routines offer various health benefits and can help anyone, including your child’s remote learning experience. Most times routines are done to help us accomplish something, create structure or reduce the need to plan.
Just because your child isn’t physically going to school on a daily basis doesn’t mean you should allow them to abandon their normal routines. Consider implementing a few daily routines into your child’s day to keep a piece of normalcy they could otherwise stray away from. A few ideas include:
Make Lunchtime Fun!
Kids may struggle with the decreased social interactions that are vital for development with their peers. Though there will be less in-person interactions, this doesn’t mean your child should be shut off from friends at school.
Video chatting platforms like Zoom can make it easy to keep your child connected to their friends. If you’re looking to keep your kid connected to friends, organize virtual game-nights or a Zoom lunch with their friends to break up their day to day work. Not only will this offer your child a nice break, but it will also deliver a fun, yet structured piece of their day that they can look forward to.
If you want to tie lunchtime into a school lesson, consider having a fun meal that relates to their work. For example, if you have a younger child learning addition or subtraction, have them count out pieces of their lunch such as apple slices. For older children, have them help you make lunch as home and careers practice.
Create a “Home Office”
Chances are there won’t be a “Take Your Child to Work Day” anytime soon, so what better way to make your child feel they’re in the office than creating a fun virtual school home office space? Not only will this make their day fun and give them the opportunity to feel like a grownup, but it will also help draw the line between when it's time to focus on school and then non-school related activities.
If you want to take it one step further beyond just a designated space, use color coding to help them organize their desk or materials by subject, and create a calendar you can place on their desk or on the wall with their classes and times throughout the day. Your child’s home office space can also include a to-do list which they can outline and cross off each day. Aside from giving your child the impression of an official office and that they’re at work, this will help them develop time-management and organization skills of their own.
There are plenty of ways to keep your child organized during remote learning at home. One of the biggest challenges they will face is separating school time from home time as the two naturally become intertwined. Helping your child stay organized through a structured day will keep them focused on school when it’s time and appreciate the release when their day is over.
Whether you decide to implement routines by way of chores or minor tasks that will set them up for success later in the day, set up Zoom lunch dates, or design a fun color-coded home office, there are plenty of options. Feel free to experiment with ways to help keep your child organized, apply techniques that work for you, and ultimately help them find the most organized and fulfilling way to learn remotely.
Sara Carter is a native Bostonian who enjoys spending time with her kids and baking when she's not writing for Enlightened-Digital.com. Her interests are technology, business, and lifestyle trends that can help anyone live a more efficient life.
As parents, with your child’s best interest in mind, you may be asking yourself how you can best help them navigate through these uncharted waters. Fear not, as a well thought out plan as a parent can put your child on the right path to a fulfilling and productive school year, even from your living room. From daily routines to scheduled play-groups or lunch time via Zoom with friends to stimulate interaction, the options are almost limitless.
Get Into Routines
Think to yourself what you do every morning when you wake up. Chances are you start your morning routine by rolling out of bed to the sound of an alarm, scrolling through the news or emails, making a cup of coffee and then end by getting ready for the day. This is something you may have come accustomed to and if you don’t do it your day might get thrown off in some way.
Since we are creatures of habit, you often have a series of routines throughout your day that you subconsciously do with or without thinking too much about it. Routines offer various health benefits and can help anyone, including your child’s remote learning experience. Most times routines are done to help us accomplish something, create structure or reduce the need to plan.
Just because your child isn’t physically going to school on a daily basis doesn’t mean you should allow them to abandon their normal routines. Consider implementing a few daily routines into your child’s day to keep a piece of normalcy they could otherwise stray away from. A few ideas include:
- Making their bed
- Laying out their clothes the night before
- Write out a daily to-do list in an effort to prioritize school work
Make Lunchtime Fun!
Kids may struggle with the decreased social interactions that are vital for development with their peers. Though there will be less in-person interactions, this doesn’t mean your child should be shut off from friends at school.
Video chatting platforms like Zoom can make it easy to keep your child connected to their friends. If you’re looking to keep your kid connected to friends, organize virtual game-nights or a Zoom lunch with their friends to break up their day to day work. Not only will this offer your child a nice break, but it will also deliver a fun, yet structured piece of their day that they can look forward to.
If you want to tie lunchtime into a school lesson, consider having a fun meal that relates to their work. For example, if you have a younger child learning addition or subtraction, have them count out pieces of their lunch such as apple slices. For older children, have them help you make lunch as home and careers practice.
Create a “Home Office”
Chances are there won’t be a “Take Your Child to Work Day” anytime soon, so what better way to make your child feel they’re in the office than creating a fun virtual school home office space? Not only will this make their day fun and give them the opportunity to feel like a grownup, but it will also help draw the line between when it's time to focus on school and then non-school related activities.
If you want to take it one step further beyond just a designated space, use color coding to help them organize their desk or materials by subject, and create a calendar you can place on their desk or on the wall with their classes and times throughout the day. Your child’s home office space can also include a to-do list which they can outline and cross off each day. Aside from giving your child the impression of an official office and that they’re at work, this will help them develop time-management and organization skills of their own.
There are plenty of ways to keep your child organized during remote learning at home. One of the biggest challenges they will face is separating school time from home time as the two naturally become intertwined. Helping your child stay organized through a structured day will keep them focused on school when it’s time and appreciate the release when their day is over.
Whether you decide to implement routines by way of chores or minor tasks that will set them up for success later in the day, set up Zoom lunch dates, or design a fun color-coded home office, there are plenty of options. Feel free to experiment with ways to help keep your child organized, apply techniques that work for you, and ultimately help them find the most organized and fulfilling way to learn remotely.
Sara Carter is a native Bostonian who enjoys spending time with her kids and baking when she's not writing for Enlightened-Digital.com. Her interests are technology, business, and lifestyle trends that can help anyone live a more efficient life.
