COVID-19 and Distance learning: How to help your kids while working from home

Working from home has become the norm in 2020! Since the President’s directive on the ban on public gathering due to COVID-19, educational institutions have shut down and resorted to online education or distance learning. Schools are not alone in this as most parents have also been forced to work from home or run shifts at the workplace.

The situation isn’t any better since as a parent, you have to mix up the task of working from home, together with housework, while supervising your child’s learning. “Whether you’ve worked from home for years or if you’re completely new to remote work, these circumstances are incredibly challenging”, says Sara Sutton, founder, and CEO of FlexJobs,

So, with at all this stress, how do you as a parent lessen your burden so you don’t end up losing your mind?  Here’s how…

Get structured: Without a schedule in these times, you could end up achieving nothing or even end up mixing days since every day seems like a weekend. To crop out of this, you need a plan. You can try drawing a timetable with every task and activity and its corresponding time, including wake up time and bedtime. Be sure to add snack breaks as well so kids don’t end up overeating. This is not a school and we are all in hard times, so don’t be too hard on yourself when and if things don’t go as planned! However, all you need to do is make sure you are organized.

Set up a workspace: Everyone knows that though working in bed or doing assignments may seem gratifying, it is not the way to go when you have deadlines to meet. What you need to do is create an office space for yourself and a learning area for the kids. Don’t have any space? Improvise. Clear the dining table or eating area and ensure the television, as well as all distractions, are kept at bay.

Don’t stress much about interruptions: Are your kids screaming during that important meeting with your boss? Don’t worry, he or she would understand. The thing is that though you try as much as possible to prevent these distractions from happening, you can’t do so all the time. So, relax, and give yourself a break!

Take advantage of nap/sleep time if you have a toddler: The best way to achieve much while working around a toddler is to get much done when they aren’t around. Meaning? Try and set an alarm an hour or two before they wake up. If you are a morning person, tackle your big assignments during that time. While you do this, you would have covered quite a substantial chunk before they wake up. When they awake, you could also then help them with what they need. The same goes for their afternoon naps as well.

Split the work: If you have a partner and both have flexible schedules, try going on shifts. For instance, if you have meetings in the morning, you could have your partner watch the kids while you have your meetings. When they are done, you could look after them while your partner also focuses on his work.

Virtual babysitting: Don’t have a partner? Try virtual babysitters. Get uncles or aunties and friends to set playdates or chatting sessions with kids while you work. Doing this could save you from multitasking, which often reduces levels of productivity and concentration.

Ensure online safety: Whereas the internet serves many useful purposes, it can also be a dangerous place for kids. Such dangers may include misinformation, cyberbullying, violence, pedophiles, etc. Hence, the need to employ safety measures. Below are some measures proposed UNICEF are:

      -Turn on SafeSearch on your browser.

      -Set up strict privacy settings on online apps and games.

      -Cover webcams when not in use.

Reach out if you have a child with Special Needs: Having a child with special needs like autism will require you to seek advice from specialists.  Find out from your ward’s school if you can be given some strategies that could be employed at home. Fortunately, here, at Ecole Ronsard, we have all the personnel and resources to help your special needs child. Kindly get in touch with us to see how best we can support you and your child.

You are not alone in this: If things are not going as planned and you feel yourself stressing, talk to someone. Get other parents to talk to and let them share effective tips that have also worked for them. If you need more information, our Ecole Ronsard doors are always open. We are only a call away! It is expedient that we work together for the good of our families and community.

Working from home while supervising your kids though challenging, is doable. But remember not to stress about these; your kids will have more screen time, you will have more mess and your kids may not be around for all virtual classes. One more thing, don’t forget to have fun because whether you like it or not, life goes on. We hope you found these tips helpful. All the best!