How to Help Your Child Be Successful in Virtual School
Everyone has suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic, but children have had their worlds flipped upside down more than most. The turn to virtual school has been debilitating due to the lack of social experiences kids normally had in the classroom. Things have been so touch-and-go that optimism can be in question.
That doesn’t mean other external factors at home can’t be a positive factor in virtual schooling. Trying something new is always exciting, and teachers and parents alike are responsible for spicing up what can be a bland and seemingly dismal experience.
Finding times to get outside has been even more crucial than before, but with kids distracted in alternative schooling, parents need to be wary of granting privileges to their teenagers who are underachieving.
The good grade car insurance discount is an incentive for parents to encourage their children to get good grades if they wish to use their car to travel. Kids may not care all that much about these insurance details, but they will if they get their driving privileges revoked.
We’ll cover many of the ways you can encourage your children to embrace virtual schooling. What can you do as a parent to make life easier for kids? What other incentives are possible for them to achieve greatness, both from an academic and social standpoint?
Create a Warm and Welcoming Home Environment
When kids are doing school at home, the number of distractions compared to the classroom is ridiculously large. Other siblings may be trying to do the same schooling online. Pets are now excited to see your kids home with them during the day. And video games and TV are right around the corner in the other room.
There is also the stress of hearing parents fight in the other room while they are trying to work. If you’re having problems in your marriage, you need to figure out how to fix the problems, especially if you are putting an extra strain on your kids. It can be difficult to handle stress as parents, especially if you are working.
Marriage counseling is a great option to start working out your differences. Put your marriage first, rather than just saying you are there for your kids’ school success. Working hard to improve your relationship will bring about positive changes all around your household that you never realized were possible.
Rearrange Your Expectations For Your Child
Grades are very important to your child’s future success, especially if they are older and trying to get into college. Universities are not going to be more lenient just because of the pandemic, so it is your responsibility to put less stress on your kid. They already have enough swirling around in their minds.
Anxiety counseling is a great resource for families who find that the stress of the situation is overwhelming. Pinpoint what part of being homeschooled is affecting them the most, and the professionals can then suggest alternative ways to relieve stress, have fun, and succeed.
If your student is also an athlete, they are more likely to be frustrated with the homebound nature of the pandemic and what was one of the only positive markers of the high school experience. Encourage them to play football or basketball with their friends in the neighborhood if everyone is vaccinated and staying safe to protect against the disease.
If your child is missing out on choir, band, drama club, or other artistic activities, it might be time to encourage them to get creative in these as solo ventures. Make sure they are keeping up with their skills and talents so that they can bounce right back when school goes to the actual classroom again.
Whatever you do, give your children space to express themselves in ways that you may not have previously let them. Allow for an expanded horizon of interests and activities, and if their tempers are more short-fused than normal, try to imagine how difficult it would be for you and your generation to grow up in a lockdown. Sympathy is the key to love.
Get Involved in Alternative Ways
Sometimes too much involvement can trigger your child’s mood during these tough times in ways that you didn’t anticipate. A gesture that you thought would be kind and considerate turns into a crude ordeal that exacerbates the problems at hand.
Counseling can help parents understand what they may be doing wrong, and the counselors can help manage their own stresses and difficulties. Keeping a parent’s mental health as strong as possible will create an environment at home in which your kids don’t get on your nerves, and you can come together as one family to navigate turbulence.
Try to talk to other parents, teachers, and administrators about what they are doing to temper expectations for the virtual school experience. Ask them whether grading will be on a different scale than in years past, and decide whether you are getting adequate help from the people in charge.
Start a new PTA group that is centered on the pandemic and children’s needs, and invite other parents who are in the same situation. You’d be amazed at how relatable these feelings are that everyone is having.
Make sure that your child is interacting with other kids their age as much as possible, even if it is over the internet or other virtual means. If their friends are vaccinated, it might even be time to get them interacting with one another face-to-face so they don’t lose touch.
Having children who require special educational attention adds an even bigger complication to the situation. Make sure as a parent that you are still getting your child to the proper professionals and asking the school how they are managing the pandemic as it relates to these students.
Children who need special education programs may have more difficulty adapting to the world than others. You need to pay close attention to their progress and keep them involved in all of their activities, if possible.
In the end, the most important thing you can do for your child is to center them in the discussion. If they ever feel like you are targeting their behavior and not making others accountable, there is a risk of them checking out. Foster a student-centered atmosphere, and the results should be more encouraging for everyone.
Shawn Laib writes and researches for the insurance comparison site, TheTruthAboutInsurance.com. He helps families find the right insurance and other resources during the coronavirus pandemic.
