Aren’t we spoiled? We leave the kids in a daycare center and expect the teachers to teach them their alphabet and numbers. We even expect the teachers to teach them proper hygiene. That’s how easy it has been for parents for generations. Then suddenly, the Covid-19 pandemic happened. It made us realize the importance of teachers in the lives of these children. Are we even paying them enough? But that’s beside the point. Children are little angels until you begin teaching them phonics and they start to throw tantrums or retreat to themselves.
For the first few years of the kids’ lives, parents are their teachers. Until such time, of course, that they start going to school. The parents then become a guide, a secondary teacher. But the online learning setup due to the pandemic is forcing parents once more to take the reins from the teachers. The spotlight is on the parents again for them to fulfill the roles of primary teachers.
Conduct Activities at Home
What are the things that they are missing out by not attending school? They won’t have career days and show-and-tell activities. Why not do it in the house?
Since many parents are starting to introduce their kids to proper dental hygiene when they’re two to three years old, it’s the best time to bring them to a kids’ dentist. Ask the dentists if they can explain to your kids a bit about what they do. Maybe it’ll interest them enough that they’d want to be one when they grow up. Do the same when they visit the pediatrician. Let your children ask them questions about their work.
Create a Routine for the Kids
In such different times, kids need to have a routine at home. Otherwise, their already disrupted lives will hinder their growth and development. Start a routine for the kids by waking them up at the exact time every day, eating breakfast together, teaching them personal hygiene by brushing their teeth and showering, and dressing up for “school.”
A routine will set them up for success. Kids are fickle-minded. Different things can occupy their minds in 15 minutes because they are still very curious about everything they see. Creating a routine will ready them for school. In the morning, they will expect to first go to school before doing anything else. The routine readies their minds to accept learning as part of their day-to-day activities.
Monitor Their Progress in Online Learning
Teachers and parents should work together to monitor the progress of the students. It is easier for teachers to see their progress when they are in the classroom. But the circumstances today make it extra hard for teachers to determine if the students are progressing along well.
Parents and teachers must communicate regularly about the students. The parents can report to the teacher about what they’re noticing in the kids at home. The teachers, meanwhile, can guide the parents in identifying if the students are hitting the milestones.
Spend Time “Working” With Your Kids
Online learning with kids is an added responsibility to parents already working from home. Nonetheless, you must carve the time to work with your kids on their activities. Organize a schedule when you will work with them and stick to it. They will begin to expect and enjoy the time that they will work on their activities with you. This teaches them the love for learning. It also develops good study habits.
The children of parents who can manage the time at home well succeed better in their curriculum. Rather than squeeze in the child’s schoolwork into your work-from-home schedule, make sure there’s a dedicated time for it. An organized time management plan ensures that both you and the kids will meet their responsibilities.
Use the Right Words
It can be frustrating at times to learn with your kids. There’s a lot of no’s. Unless they are taught at an early age, kids rarely want to sit still to listen to their teachers. Use your words lovingly. It is tempting to scream at your kids so that they will listen to you, but this isn’t the right way to nurture their love for learning. You will only push them away rather than strengthen their resolve to learn.
Take this time to get to know your kids. What are they interested in learning? What do they love to do? When they go back to school, they’ll be so busy making friends and learning. You’ll miss out on the fun of seeing them discover things. So embrace this time, do your part, and work with the teachers.