03/18/2020
As I have been talking with some of my adolescents this week, I have been hearing a lot about their struggles with virtual school. Here are some tips to help them be successful!
1.) Structure, structure, structure! We (especially children and teens) need structure. We have been fortunate in our house, that my children’s school has continued to provide some semblance of structure through live announcements, lessons, and specials throughout the day. This has made ALL. THE. DIFFERENCE. However, I know many schools have not been able to do the same.
If your kids are older (middle and high school) encourage them to make a schedule similar to their normal school schedule and follow that throughout the day. They don’t have to be rigid about the schedule and they can schedule breaks, but it’s important for them to have some structure to their day. Some will be more independent with this and some will need you to guide them. Figure out what works best for your child.
Or, if your child loves to make lists and check things off the list, encourage them to make a list of their work and check it off as they go.
2.) If your child normally eats lunch with friends. Encourage them to call or FaceTime their friends while they eat lunch at least a couple of days a week. This will provide a sense of normalcy and help them with their routine. Also, encourage them to work on projects with their friends through FaceTime, etc.
3.) Encourage your child to get up at a decent time, get dressed, brush their teeth and comb their hair. It’s easy to stay in our PJ’s all day when we don’t have anywhere to go, but just these simple steps will help them to get started and stick to a routine.
4.) Limit their distractions as much as you can (i.e. social media, video games, etc.) let these things have structured time throughout the day.
5.) Discourage too much isolation in their room. Teens love to isolate in their rooms, but when they aren’t leaving the house, this can really effect their mood. Provide opportunities for them to engage with family members (game night, movie night, binge a show together, watch a church service together, read together, go for a walk together, etc.)
These tips are simple and may be redundant, but hopefully you will find these helpful. Remember, to show yourselves and each other grace, and communicate that grace to one another!
