Covid and Your Child
Question:
Feel like your living in a surreal world? This is especially true when it's school time and parents, grandparents or whoever becomes the designated person takes on the task of teaching your pre or elementary school age child/children.
Answer:
Parents who have always homeschooled are a bet more relaxed about this new occurrence, but parents who's children attend school outside of their home find themselves experiencing anxiety when facing this challenging situation.
Becoming a teacher and adopting this new role without the benefit of an educational teaching background can feel overwhelming. Without early childhood education especially in the areas of child development stages (sensorimotor, preparational, concrete operational and formal operational) background, the task is often more difficult. (This also applies to homeschool teachers without formal training).
Here are a few of the questions parents now face since Covid-19 became the new-normal:
If both parents work...who takes care of the children and who is their teacher?
Is the designated teacher equipped to handle the subject matter?
Is the designated teacher equipped to handle the school's requirements with efficiency?
Is the designated teacher comfortable interacting with the school for direction?
Is the designated teacher a patient and understanding individual who is comfortable with children?
Is the designated teacher aware each child learns differently and able to accommodate the difference?
Is the designated teacher computer savvy and able to handle the required programs?
Covid-19 has created tremendous change for students, families and teachers. Everyone is being called upon to adapt to these new changes and at the same time remain calm. Parents especially, need to meet these challenges without making the children more anxious then they already are. This isn't easy when the adults are facing anything but normal themselves.
But calm is the key, as is asking for help. We're far more adaptable and creative than we ever give ourselves credit for. Do your best and trust you will get through this. Children are resistant and your child/children will survive and learn in spite of Covid-19.