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Learning from home in lockdown : our survival guide for parents/carers!

Discussion forum for parents in Australia

Learning from home in lockdown : our survival guide for parents/carers!

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Janine-RO

Learning from home in lockdown : our survival guide for parents/carers!

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Hello parents and carers, 

 

2021 continues to bring ups and downs for our parents community, and we know that a number of parents and carers today will be adjusting to the news that schools will be returning to learning from home for the first week of Term 3. 

 

Learning from home/ home schooling/ remote learning:

 

As a parent myself, I can definitely say this was one of the biggest challenges for myself and my family in 2020. We have been reflecting on the lessons we learned then- and ReachOut have developed a range of resources to help support parents and carers of young people. 

 

Distance Learning Animation GIF by BrainPOP

 

Every family, and every young person, is different. My young person enjoyed some aspects of home based learning - she enjoyed having more autonomy over her time, "not being around the loud kids who always get into trouble", and found a nice routine where she would work with her best friend via zoom. 

 

That being said, we also know that some parents did it really tough - especially people who experienced long lockdowns, young people in year 12, and kids with additional support needs. 

 

Back To School Corona GIF by INTO ACTION

 

Firstly- we thought it was important to acknowledge the unsung heroes of this pandemic - our wonderful teachers, support staff, SLSOs, and everyone else involved in the mammoth task of educating our children. 

 

Teachers are the absolute unsung heroes of this pandemic in my humble opinion (and if you're also a teacher, do check out ReachOut Schools here!)

 

Our teachers have gone above and beyond in the last week, and the process has been far less stressful than it was last time. If you're a teacher reading this:

 

We Miss You Teacher Appreciation Day GIF by INTO ACTIONTeacher Appreciation Day Thank You GIF by INTO ACTION

 

So - here's some material we've created to help support people in a range of situations: 

 

1. Routine:  Creating a "new normal" routine was huge for our family - for us, it includes going for a walk together before we all start work for the day, and meeting for a tea break in the afternoon. 

 

Help your teen stick to a routine during COVID-19

 

 

routine GIF

 

2. Motivation:  There were some days where we all struggled with our motivation - and I reflected that if I, as an adult, was struggling sometimes, it was no wonder that some days my oldest child didn't want to get off the couch!

 

We also wanted to acknowledge that sometimes, a doona day is totally valid self care, for adults and teens alike. 

 

Read about motivating your teen when school is the last thing on their mind here

 

Best Work From Home memes we found online while working from home -  Trending News News

 

3. Handling stress about the future: I  know that my young person is getting really anxious about what the future looks like at the moment- the uncertainty is so hard. We have heard this from a lot of other parents- when you're just starting out your adult life, it can be really rough not knowing what work, study, or travel opportunities will be available in the future

 

This article is all about what to do if your teen is stressed about the future

 

 

Finally, we've got some really practical tools to help young people figure out how to study in such uncertain and weird times: 

 

4. Coping with study stress: 

 

 

Stressed about study during coronavirus?

 

 If school life is overwhelming right now, you're not alone. View our collection of study stress resources to help you get through the disruptions of covid. 

 

19 Of The Most Relatable Memes About Classes Being Canceled Or Put Online  Due To The Pandemic

 

5. Working out your at home study style: 

 

This is a fun quiz, which helps young people (and adults!) get insight into their own learning style, and what strategies might be helpful for them. 

 

Quiz: What's your at-home study style? 

 

 

Most importantly- we wanted to let parents and carers know that it's so valid, and completely OK, to be experiencing a range of emotions at the moment. You may be angry, frustrated, stressed, or totally over it! Or, you may be totally fine. 

 

 

Bbc Interview GIFs - Get the best GIF on GIPHY

 

 

 

This is a safe space to chat, share what's working for you, and know that you're not alone if the home learning road is a bit rocky. 

 

 

Jumping At Home GIF by TurboTax Canada

 

 

Contributor
Hannah-RO

Re: Surviving learning from home in COVID times: check out our top tips here, and share yours!

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A Note for Parents in New South Wales

 

This is a link to the latest update (from 7th July 2021) on the Department of Education NSW website for any parents looking for some more information. 

The most recent statement says -  "Following updated health advice and ongoing cases of community transmission, the current lockdown will be extended for another week until 11:59pm on Friday, 16 July"

 

While many of us who live in Sydney will be at home next week, the Department of Education NSW also states: "Schools will remain open for students who need them and no child will be turned away from school."

 

As the situation continues to evolve, we encourage parents and carers to visit the health department website in their state, for the most up to date information on current restrictions in your location

 

NSW Health

Victoria Health COVID information 

QLD Health COVID Information

ACT Covid Info

SA Covid Info 

NT COVID info

Tasmania COVID Information 

WA COVID information 

 

 

 

 

 

Star contributor
Janine-RO

Re: Surviving learning from home in COVID times: check out our top tips here, and share yours!

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Checking in from Day 1 of home learning!

 

So far, it's overall been a more positive experience in my household, compared to 2020. It's not a walk in the park, but I feel like we've all slipped back into the groove a bit better than last time. 

 

Teachers are the absolute unsung heroes of this pandemic in my humble opinion (and if you're also a teacher, do check out ReachOut Schools here!)

 

Our teachers have gone above and beyond in the last week, and the process has been far less stressful than it was last time. We use a few different platforms and apps, which is less painful this time because it's more familiar for my young person. 

 

In our case, my daughter likes to have some idea what to expect each week- so her anxiety has lifted a lot now that she has her work for the week, and I can hear her chatting online with her best friend as they work together. 

 

I'm also just going to tag a few people who may be in the same boat and have posted recently about their school aged young person, and @Philippa-RO  is also a fellow working parent with kids at home. 

 

@Birdwings  @Claire123 @ToriH @Hopesprings123 @charliebear @KaseyBear @Jojo_123 @maybe @sidneysdad @compassion @Toz1972 

Scribe
JavierA89

Re: Learning from home in lockdown : our survival guide for parents/carers!

Thanks for this tutorial. This is very useful information.

Casual scribe
ZarinaF

Re: Learning from home in lockdown : our survival guide for parents/carers!

It's not easy for us now. I want to pay as much attention to specialized subjects as possible.