5 Tips for Parents During Remote Learning

 

Increased hours of screen-time activities is considered a concern for children. Such concern has become even more pronounced during this pandemic given that children now are confined to their homes without any suitable alternative for spending their time than to be immersed in the digital world.

There were tons of researches and tests that recognized the negative impacts on the brain of children who spent more than two hours a day of screen-time [1,2,3]. The negative effects may get more adverse now that technology became the main bridge between child and educator in distance learning. The use of gadgets is inevitable as the majority of the schools world-wide transitioned to online learning in response to the covid-19 pandemic. 

Questions to ponder if you’re a parent of a grade school child:

1. Is the school relying too much on slide presentations that your child no longer needed to use pen and paper in class?
2. Are you able to check in with your child daily and ask him about the lessons he learned during the online sessions? Is he attentive? Does he forget them right away after the computer was turned off?

Online education is not easy to most teachers and students alike. Parents are caught in between; they must provide the needs at home and at the same time observe and help their child in their online education. It is challenging to monitor everything including the screen- time of the child. Here are 5 tips to help parents get a sense of everything and in some way take control:

ONE: Know your child’s online schedule. All schools provide synchronous and asynchronous learning schedule that shows both students and parents what to expect for the entire week. Keep a copy of the schedule and take note of the hours of screen time of the child.

 

TWO:  Your child must have a designated area in the house that is meant for online learning. It does not have to be a room. It may just be a corner or a small space in the house with a table. Children will appreciate their cute little space and will do their best to maintain them.

 

          

    

THREE: Designate a technology free area in the home. Be firm and be a role model in following the rules. 

 

FOUR: Schedule your own face to face activities that will make your child appreciate the quality time you are spending with them.

 

FIVE: Attend to your scheduled online PTCs regularly. Communicate the important observations you had about your child to the teacher. The parents play a critical role in the online education as the teachers are not physically present to fully observe the child. 

- Shik

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[1] Healthline Parenthood: Is Screen Time Altering the Brains of Children?

[2] News Medical Life Science: Does Screen Time Affect Children’s Development?

[3] WebMD: Can Too Much Screen Time Hinder Child Development?