Dos & Don’ts for Parents to help kids with online school

The lockdown has compelled schools to begin the new academic session through online classes. It is commendable how the schools and teachers have put up immense efforts into understanding the virtual learning apps and tailoring their curriculum to run online classes.

However, this transition might not have been smooth for you and your children. You not only need to figure out the technical settings for online classes, but also shift your mindset from a traditional classroom set up to e-learning from home. It is indeed an additional responsibility in the list of your lockdown struggles.

Teachers can provide some broad guidelines on how to attend the classes from home, but the onus of helping your children navigate through this lies on your shoulders. So, here are some dos and don’ts for you to make online classes an enjoyable and seamless experience for your children.

Dos

• Prepare the Child: Prepare the child mentally for online classes. You could say that it is similar to video-calling friends and relatives since you can’t meet them in person. You can also give an example of how you are connected to your office and working online from home.

• Understand the Technology: Configure the technical settings on the computer or phone on which your child will attend classes. It is also crucial to manage privacy settings to prevent access to unwanted or restricted content. You should also set up parental controls to monitor your child’s online activities during the classes.

If the child is old enough to understand, you can even teach him or her ways to login into the system or troubleshoot a technical glitch on their own.

• Create School-Like Environment: Plan a routine just like you would when the child goes to the school. Make them take a bath and dress up neatly/wear the uniform (if mandated by the school), keep the books ready according to the day’s timetable, give them a light breakfast before the class, put a water bottle next to them and encourage them to complete their homework or assignments on time.

• Set up a Dedicated Learning Space: Find a quiet, comfortable and well-lit room/corner in the house where the child can attend online classes without distractions.

• Stay in Touch: Share your children’s queries and concerns with teachers or other parents in your school groups or via phone calls. Stay connected with your school community – it will lift your and your child’s spirits!

Don’ts

• Don’t Take a Casual Approach: if you do not acknowledge the efforts of schools in conducting online classes, then it is quite likely that your child will replicate your behaviour.

• Don’t Disturb: Do not intervene in the online classes unless the child calls for your help. Also, do not find unnecessary excuses to enter the child’s study space and disturb him or her during the class.

• Don’t Hang Up on the Class: Make sure that the child doesn’t skip the classes just because it is happening online. If your child is using your computer or phone for classes, do not plan your meetings or any other activity or request him or her to hang up during the class hours.

A routine, structure and a positive mindset are all you need to make online schools classes effortless for your children. How are you helping your child cope with online studies? Do share your tips with the Kidwise parents’ community!