• My Life Meditation – Mindfulness techniques that help with sleep and anxiety. • Virtual Hope Box – Helps cope with overwhelming emotions; can be used in partnership with behavioral health provider.
Set Up for Success • Agree on workspace(s). • Create a daily schedule with blocks of time. Allow input from older kids. • Use email and the teacher’s messaging app to ask for what you need. • Install apps to receive updated information from the school district and class notifications from teachers. • Thank teachers. They’re working hard; gratitude goes a long way during these challenging times.
Be Flexible According to many parents and teachers, the key to academic engagement is to be flexible. Seeking every workbook or worksheet on the market turns kids off. Use hands-on projects, podcasts, YouTube channels and books to engage children and keep them motivated. “Families that do the best with distance learning are the most flexible,” says Tami Bromley, a kindergarten teacher in Coronado. She suggests short bursts of schoolwork mixed with movement, play and breaks. “As much hands-on exploration as possible always helps.”
things she loves (art, dance, walking the dog),” says third grade mom Anessa. “She likes crossing things off, and the list isn’t overwhelming when it has the ‘musts’ and the ‘loves’ on it.” “I help my daughter get through boring online sites with the promise that she can play a game on Prodigy afterwards,” says third grade mom Jessica. “We don’t pay for A’s, but we do set weekly goals with rewards like a book or [choosing] a family activity.” “My kids stay motivated knowing that we check their work periodically, and that we care they are doing it,” says Coreen, mom of a seventh and ninth grader. “We were home [in the spring] to help when they had problems, so we were very lucky. We also try to keep a regular sleep schedule.”
Connect Regularly
• Get the whole family involved in media together to facilitate social interactions and learning. • Preserve unplugged family time. Make meals and bedtime routines screen-free. • Use parental controls if your children have phones. “I highly recommend that all electronics be charged in the parents’ bedroom, so kids and teens are not up all night when their phone is beeping,” says Atherton. “I can’t tell you how many students are exhausted during the school day due to being on their phones at night.” v Cherie Gough is a local freelance writer and mom of two. The Strengthening Families Program mentioned here is one of the best parental tools she’s ever seen.
Social (or physical) distancing should not mean social isolation. Even kids who attend school in person will find fewer opportunities to connect at lunch and on the playground. If using online tools like Zoom or Google Hangouts, try regularly scheduled online meet-ups with friends or classmates. Having an activity to do together while online helps spark conversation and interaction. My kids do Mad Libs, read from joke books, and play card and video games.
Manage Screen Time • Set expectations and consequences ahead of time. Think about whether your child’s technology use helps or hinders participation in other activities.
Amanda, whose daughter just finished kindergarten agrees, “When she got tired of the online lesson, we went outside, had a snack and then got back to work.” “Our best survival technique for distance learning is making a daily list of what has to be done and letting our daughter do it in any order, including September 2020 • SanDiegofamily.com •
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