As we go through this unique time as parents, I understand there will be challenges ahead once this pandemic is over with employment, finances, etc. but in the meantime, we are being asked to be present and involved with our children more than we ever have since they are at home all day. From personal experience with my 15, 11 and 9 year old being home all day, I now have a better idea of how much we eat, how much toilet paper we use, how unreliable my internet connection is now that sometimes 5 devices are on it at once (a new router is on the way!) and how much we have to run the dishwasher. Below are some tips that I hope can help and encourage you as parents to better assist you in fulfilling your role as a parent more efficiently during this pandemic we are experiencing as a country.
- Recognizing that teens are likely to understand the scope of COVID-19’s impact, but feel powerless.
Address those challenges first. Academic work can provide a distraction to the news of the day, but should never be considered more important than taking time to simply talk to your children about what’s happening in our world. We should make sure they are receiving encouragement from scripture at this time. For my family, spring is typically a very busy season. Everyone is going in different directions with work, school, sports, coaching and other extracurriculars that we are rarely able to enjoy a family dinner. Right now, we are eating dinner together every night. Take advantage of this time to have honest, truthful discussion and do a family devotion. You will cherish these times later, when our lives get busy again. There are great books out there if you search for dinner time devotions but if you need something quick, there are dinner time devotion plans on the Bible app.
2. Expect school to look more like a college schedule, then high school.
Instead of filling 6 to 7 hours, online school may consume shorter, more intense periods of time each day—similar to taking two to three classes each day as you would in college. Your student may work for two hours, take a break, and then work for another hour or two later. Remember, only a portion of the day during traditional schooling is actual instruction time (there’s attendance, announcements, moving between classes, lunch, etc.). Make sure your student gets away from the screen during the day and when they say they are done with their classes for the day, plan some exercise or an activity activity to do with them. This could be taking a run or walk in the neighborhood, using an elliptical machine at home, throwing the ball or doing a workout. There are many workout plans and videos online.
3. Deal with technology distractions
By modeling the behavior you want your kids to follow can make a big difference. Everyone should be mindful about putting down their phones to engage in productive, “real-life” pursuits, whether that means schoolwork or a hands-on family project or board game. At the same time, instead of saying they can’t play video games or go on social media, it’s about looking at their plan for the day and identifying blocks of time between accomplishments when they can play.
4. Come up with a consistent routine
The best schedule ultimately depends on your teen. Generally, after a good night’s sleep (8 to 10 hours), try to keep a similar routine in the morning on school days. If you are able to get them some breakfast before their first class and have some conversation with them that would be great. They may just want to wake up 3 minutes before class, roll out of bed, grab their device and crawl back into bed. Most teachers don’t appreciate students participating in class from their bed. Once schoolwork begins, tackle the most difficult subject(s) in the morning, take a break (maybe more outdoor time), and flip to another subject. Give your teen some ownership over his or her extensive free time, but encourage them to maintain relationships (grandma would love to Zoom) and creativity works during this time. This is a great time for students to develop non-academic skills or knowledge related to their interests— trying cooking or gardening, painting or learning a new language. They can help with projects around the house, learn how to program, or dig into a research project that relates to this pandemic that may turn out to have a real-world impact one day– and something for their college admissions resume.
In closing, I want to thank you for your hard work and commitment to help your child through this time. It is not going unnoticed! Hopefully, you are enjoying the extra time with them but also recognizing that this time is temporary and this too shall pass. I sent a great article by Paul Tripp to faculty and staff at DC back on March 4th that I also want to share with you titled, “How To Love a Teenager”.
https://www.paultripp.com/wednesdays-word/posts/how-to-love-a-teenager
It’s filled with wisdom and truth that is even appropriate during this phase of life we are in.
This was a very helpful reminder that pushing straight through with work might not be the best solution when are a teenager tucked away in a corner somewhere. Thanks for reminding me that as a parent I need to encourage them to take breaks, go outside, talk to the family, and connect with friends!