Schools have now re-opened across the country with a very different landscape for learning. While it has a learning steep curve for children, learning from home poses new challenges for parents as well, especially those who are juggling the new reality of working from home.

We’ve curated information from a number of sources to provide support for our team members who are parents that are currently supervising their children in learning from home.

Routine is everything

Having a daily morning routine is helpful in ensuring that the entire family is primed and ready to go to work or school, even when both activities are carried out at home. These routines could include waking up at the same time every morning, cooking a full breakfast or going for a walk around the block before starting work or school. Experts recommend that these routines should be written up for the whole family so that everyone sticks to it.

Creating a good learning environment

Set up a quiet and comfortable space in your home for learning. This should be in a shared space such as the lounge room or dining room, so your child does not feel isolated and can be easily supervised. Ensure that this room can be quiet when required for learning and has a good internet signal.

Communicating with your child

Check in during your morning routine with your child to establish learning goals for the day and in the afternoon, find out what was learned during the day and find out if any resources are required for successful learning the next day.

Managing screen time

As children are now using digital devices for learning as well as entertainment, it’s important to ensure that parents take a balanced approach towards managing screen time. Time spent using digital devices should be balanced with physical exercise and offline learning activities as well.

Mental health and wellbeing

Change is usually stressful for children, and it is important for parents to check in on the mental health and wellbeing of their children. During this time of isolation and remote learning, children could be particularly vulnerable to online bullying, so it is important to set time aside every day to check in and allow your child to express feelings of anxiousness or frustration.

If you are concerned about your child’s mental wellbeing, Parentline offers support for parenting issues such as education and bullying.

The Department of Education in Victoria has put together a helpful home learning guide for parents that would apply across all states and in New Zealand as well. You can access their guide here. We hope you’ve found these tips helpful in supporting you and your child through the challenges of remote learning.