Navigating the times during COVID has brought with it many unique challenges. One of the major challenges that both parents and children have found themselves facing is virtual learning. In March of 2020, many kids found themselves happy to be getting a “break” from attending school. However, virtual learning at the end of the 2019-2020 school year looked much different than virtual schooling for the 2020-2021 school year.

Virtual learning is not only the job of the teacher and child but requires much more parental time and attention than when kids are attending school in person. As Matheis (2021), points out, kids are having to navigate several online tools to locate their assignments, complete them, and turn them in. The challenges of navigating the online tools can be difficult for children which creates a need for them to call on their parents for assistance.

In addition, young children more than likely are not proficient typists, which leaves the parents needing to help their children to type responses to assignments. However, if the parents are not available due to their schedules then the kids will either end up with incomplete assignments, poor grades, missing work, or a combination of the latter (Matheis, 2021).

Many kids struggle with both impulse control and staying focused. Attending class via video screen allows more opportunity to not truly be focused and to get distracted looking at social media, texting friends, surfing the web, or watching streaming apps, which is leading to many kids doing poorly in school and having low grades. Virtual schooling has also led to an increase in anxiety, depression, and low motivation (Matheis, 2021). Kids are not having the same opportunity to fill their need for love and belonging by interacting and making connections with their friends at school throughout the day.

Parents are left wondering what they can do to combat some of the issues that they and their children are facing due to virtual learning? Some of the ways that parents can help both themselves and their children be more successful with virtual learning is to:

1) Maintain communication with your child’s teacher to stay informed about how your child is doing or ways that you can help;

2) If your child has an individualized education program or needs accommodations, communicate your child’s needs clearly to the teacher and see what adjustments can be made to help them be successful;

3) Create a quiet comfortable workspace for your child that is set up with all of the supplies they need to do their school work;

4) Create a morning just as they would have if they were attending school in person;

5) Make sure your child takes breaks during the day to get up and move around;

6) Create a schedule for your child to follow and put it somewhere they can easily reference it;

7) Help your kids stay focused by keeping distractions out of sight;

8) Set timers for your kids so that they can stay on task or know when it is time for class changes;

9) Allow your kids to set up outdoor playdates or enroll them to participate in an activity (Matheis, 2021).

Matheis, L., PhD. (2021, January 18). Strategies to Get Through Virtual Learning During COVID. Retrieved January 24, 2021, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/special-matters/202101/strategies-get-through-virtual-learning-during-covid