Helping your child with their schooling through the Covid-19 lockdown

These are uncertain times, and it can be very daunting for you and the whole family. With all the news about the pandemic, it is just natural to feel anxious since the world is now reeling to the effects of Covid-19, both emotionally and economically.

Being isolated inside your home and not able to go out and about can be very challenging for most people. That is why reaching out to your friends and relatives online is a must; you can perhaps start a group on Facebook or initiate a group chat or Skype call once a day to lighten up your mood and minimise loneliness.

Prioritise kindness and compassion, because you will be with your kids most of the time, and they may display challenging behaviour as they are feeling cabin fever since they can’t get out of the house. You may need to set boundaries, so it is important that you talk to them and convey your expectations as well as understand theirs too. Most importantly, build in family time so your children will feel that you support them during these challenging times.

Remote learning alternatives
With the lockdown in place in most of the communities in Australia, you may be thinking about how to keep yourself as well as your children occupied. As schools are closed, and there’s no clear indication when they will reopen this year, it is essential to find other means to help your kids learn and cope up with their schooling.

However, before you start searching for remote learning alternatives, you need to first reach out to your children's school and teachers, so that you stay informed as well as receive the necessary guidance about online learning. They may even give you pointers on how to assist you, child, with remote learning.

Common mistake that parents make
Some parents and students are not ready for the sudden switch to online learning at home, and parents tend to make common mistakes like leaving their children on their own since they know more about technology, which in fact, not the case.

Parents should take a more personalised approach in helping kids with their online learning activities like setting up a separate study space, including a working computer, and away from any distractions. You should also be able to block certain apps or software in your child’s computer that could potentially distract them from their studies.

What to do when you are close to breaking point?
Helping your child with online learning using various digital platforms can be quite daunting and sometimes frustrating, especially if you’re not seeing the results that you would expect from your child. You may even be close to breaking point since you also have other issues of your own. When you’re in this situation, you need to calm down and take a break. You need to be patient and understand that not all students will learn online at the same pace.

You should appreciate the little wins and be thankful that they are moving forward in spite of our current situation.

Online tutoring
You may also want to consider hiring a qualified tutor like, who can provide digital classes. These tutors can help your child improve their academic skills using various online means like artificial intelligence that can gather data from apps to determine the best way of customising their lesson plans.