Tips to Help Your Kids Learn from Home

It is understandable that managing work and family responsibilities are already overwhelming for most people, adding to that task of managing your child’s schoolwork and helping them out could be extremely difficult. But there are certain tips and tricks that can make this task easier. Understanding your child’s curriculum demands whether it is the American school curriculum or the British, keeping in touch with their teacher and other parents, and paying attention to your kid’s needs are some things that will definitely help.

But distance learning goes beyond that. If your kid is in their late teens, they might be able to handle most of their work on their own but younger kids or children with special education needs (SEN) definitely need more assistance. And as a parent, it is your responsibility to ensure that all your child’s learning needs are met but at the same time, it isn’t overwhelming for you, your children or other family members. Here are some helpful tips you can keep in mind to ensure that both you and your children have a wonderful distance learning experience:

Create a Distraction-Free Space

Your kid is already going to be using a device to attend their classes and that itself is quite distracting, so if they do not have a space without distractions, it might become difficult for them to concentrate at all. Now it is understandable that space can be an issue in modern households, especially if all the members of the family are operating from home. But whatever space your child decides to make use of – the center table, the dining table or even the bed, it should be organized, clean and free of other distractions such as another device or a toy.

Get Involved but Give Them Freedom

It is now necessary for you to get involved in your child’s educational as well as recreational activities.  But remember that there is a thin line between assisting and getting involved, and taking control of everything. At the end of the day, it is important that children learn and do so without feeling any pressure. Constantly asking them to do things could make them feel pressured and exhausted. Give them the freedom to create their own routine which includes both studying and other activities so that a balance is maintained. Remember that you aren’t just their teacher but also their parent and vice versa.

Positive Affirmations and Encouragement

Affirmations and encouragement can work wonders for kids’ self-esteem and confidence. According to the renowned psychologist Skinner, providing positive reinforcement will lead to an increase in the behavior that preceded the positive reinforcement. Giving them stickers, stars or verbal praises can be a great incentive. Telling them that after they’ve collected a certain number of stars or stickers, they can ask for a bigger reward, can also be fun for both you and them and motivate them to work harder.

Take a Break

When you have access to your work and your work has access to you 24*7, it is likely that your work-life balance would stop existing. This could also happen with kids especially if they are ambitious or have a Type A personality. They may constantly want to do school-related work. This might end up in burnout. In order to avoid this, both you and your child should take regular breaks and do what you love. You could bake together or paint together or play board games. This provides an opportunity to stay away from the screen and also provides bonding time for the family. Refreshed minds are also more likely to work better and faster.

Make Health a Priority

It has become evident worldwide that everyone’s first priority should be health – both physical and mental. When you are restricted within the four walls of your home, getting your regular physical movement – walking to the office/school, inside the buildings, taking stairs, etc. becomes impossible. Unconsciously, you are stuck to your chair. Even mentally it is possible that you might fall in a rut. So get active and get conscious – encourage movement and time away from screens. Plan activities that safely allow you to do that – a socially distanced walk in the park, going on a nature trail or simply a dance party in your living room.

Conclusion

Learning from homes and having your children learn from homes is an entirely new reality that most people are adjusting to. It is possible to either become too relaxed or too strict, too neglectful or too controlling. It is extremely important to strike the right balance. Enrolling your child in a school such as the cityamericanschool.ae that pays attention to their needs is an important step in the right direction.