Learning from home in lockdown : our survival guide for parents/carers!
Discussion forum for parents in Australia
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.
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.
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:
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
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
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.
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.
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.
