As most workers — such as nannies, support networks, cooks, cleaners, creches, and many other household and home help services — have been absent during the lockdowns, children’s education, home-schooling, and daily activities have been managed mostly by parents.
Stress haunted many parents and students alike as they were ill-prepared for the new lockdown environment or conditions. On top of it all, parents were at a loss and overwhelmed as to how to handle all the new home-schooling responsibilities. Just imagine the pressure and the task facing parents of finding the time to adjust to the lockdown and cope with the requirements and responsibilities!
You know how working mothers in particular are the ones who get burdened with hundreds of tasks. There is a lot to deal with. The pressure has grown to meet deadlines at the office, attend and participate in all meetings, manage domestic household duties, and now attend online schooling. These are immense changes.
The struggle of juggling different duties and responsibilities is real! There is too little or no support while doing all this juggling. It is paramount to manage work during the lockdown and balance children’s lives and support. So it is necessary to keep your frustration levels at bay and ensure to maintain harmony as much as possible.
The Department of Education has motivated parents and schools to ensure that children are accessing online learning and benefit from it. However, it is equally challenging for parents to make sure their children get the facilities. Moreover, the pandemic has made everyone overwhelmed with their increased responsibilities. Thus, we are here with some tips and tricks to help reduce and manage your stress and lighten your mood.
Finding a balance between work, family life, and home-schooling during lockdown
The following are some of the ways and tips for people to balance their work and home-schooling during this lockdown.
Finish pending work as soon as possible
If you are not prepared, as a serious deadline approaches, this usually comes with an anxious and racing heart. At that time, it is usually better to speed up preparations so that the task can be met head-on and finished. Then you can relax and take it easy for at least a little time. Maintaining a proper schedule keeps your anxiety at bay and helps you focus on your children and your own mental health.
Do not procrastinate
How many times have you dodged work and decided to take it easy for a while? You say to yourself: “I will do it later.” Well… this happens a lot of times! Working from home has a very different energy and ambiance. It is more relaxed and familiar, but it can also make you lazy and think that you have all the time in the world to get things done. As the saying goes: “Time flies when you are having fun.” It is best to stop lazing around and allowing pending work to pile up. Try not to procrastinate.
Be easy on your children
Who said learning isn’t fun? You just need to have the right approach to it. The best way to learn is through fun activities. Do not try to be an overly strict teacher in front of your children, as they might end up rebelling against learning. Being too casual and indifferent toward them is also not a favorable approach. Provide them with structure and the freedom to grasp and communicate back and forth; they have a different way to relate.
Keep school material and work organized
Brownie points to you if you are monitoring and keeping timetables, lessons, and homework assignments organized and up-to-date. Things are easy when everything is accessible and within your reach. An Internet connection and a laptop aren’t enough either for Work-From-Home or Online Learning. You need to have schoolroom accessories like a notepad, pencil, sharpener, maps, folders, and highlighters.
Utilize your bedtime
Working 24×7 without rest? A big NO! Managing all the activities mentioned above can be very tiresome. You can shift certain aspects of learning like bedtime stories for the children or recognizing certain specific items. It will also make the learning more interesting and exciting.
Visit educational channels
How about you stop the subscription to Netflix for a while and switch to educational channels? While your young ones cannot go out, you can subscribe to educational channels for your children. It will educate them while providing entertainment. It will keep the children busy and learning with fun; meanwhile, you can work without disturbance.
Use online resources
The Internet is the greatest medium we have today. Use it for educational and work purposes. It will eventually make things easier. You can find tools to take tests for the children and animated videos of subjects to include visual learning. Meanwhile, you can finish up the chores, and get other work done.
Implement a reward system for the children
Everyone loves it when he/she is appreciated for their result. The appreciation can also be in the form of rewards for genuine efforts in home-schooling. It can be anything your child likes. It will also encourage your children to do their basic work.
Teaching physical activities and chores
Do you want your child to be a nerd and not street smart? What if I tell you that he/she can be both? Online classes at home are an opportunity for you to teach your children things apart from academics. They can do many chores like washing dishes, helping you clean the house, and more. It will build up a sense of responsibility in them.
Interchanging roles
The secret to handling work and home-schooling successfully is to divide work responsibilities with your nearest and dearest. If one is working, the other is with the children. This way, both of you will save time and be more efficient.
Follow these recommendations to help bring out the best in your children, as well as for your own and your family’s well-being.
