The "New Normal": Homeschooling

Suddenly, you're now parent, partner, professional, professor, and play-date! Each school is taking a very different approach to "e-learning", ranging from virtual classrooms using platforms like Zoom to packets of work with due dates. Nevertheless, your involvement as a parent in your child's schooling has shifted... dramatically! Here are some tips parents can implement at this time to help ease this transition for you and your student alike.

1. Switch hats: You know how homework as dad has been a nightmare for as long as you can remember? "Teacher-Dad" will be even less fun. Try to delineate between when one role ends and the next begins as much as possible to keep the peace!

2. It does NOT all need to be done: My teacher friends will hate me for this one, but little known fact - best practice in teaching includes classwork to introduce new content; practice in class with said content; and independent work for homework with content. If your child's teacher has provided 3 worksheets assessing the same content, don't make your child do ALL of it IF they have demonstrated understanding. It's boring and redundant. Save one of the worksheets as review for the next day or later in the week.

3. Change scenery: In a typical school, on a typical day (even for the little ones), kids transition from room to room, class to class, with breaks for socializing. Maybe you have one designated place in the home for "school". This can exhaust your student more quickly as it is likely a more sterile environment meant to help them focus. How about going outside for reading time or to conduct a science experiment? Over-stimulation can be bad. No inspiration can be worse!

4. Recognize the shift: Your child has been used to being at school for about 7-8 hours a day, 5 days a week, about 9 months a year multiplied by their grade. Possibly, you're used to working 8 - 12 hours a day, sometimes overlapping with your child's time at school; other times, seemingly "ships in the night" leaving for work as your child is arriving home from school. Long story short... more likely than not, you and your child are spending more time together than you have in their ENTIRE lives. Just let that sink in.

5. Listen and mentor: Yes. We still need to have school. But, news flash! There is a pandemic going on! It is possible your child is scared, worried, and confused. For the older ones missing out on senior trips, prom, and traditional graduation - they're potentially angry! Give your child room to talk. Keep it age appropriate and have it match your parenting, as kids can see through the fake. However, if your parenting style has been one of less listening and more dictating, now could be the time to shift. Don't offer up more information than necessary, or make guarantees, but certainly give them space for ALL of their emotions. This means the lesson will sometimes need to take a backseat. And that is ok because, did I mention... there is a pandemic going on?!

6. Have fun: I won't throw the cliche at you that learning is fun (because I never got joy out of calculus), but a great teacher always makes the EXPERIENCE, at best, memorable and entertaining - even when the content is not. Don't be a drill sergeant. Recognize your student's success and be their biggest cheerleader when they get something! Remind the older ones to take a break and CALL a friend or go for a walk.

7. Be okay with imperfection: We have all been thrown for a loop. Offer yourself, your child, your school and teachers, some grace as we navigate through unprecedented times.