3 Tips for Success & Safety with Virtual School

Media Savvy Moms

Parents everywhere are mourning the loss of “the most wonderful time of the year”—that sweet spot when our lives return to a predictable routine. (Or so we like to tell ourselves!) With COVID-19, the return to school looks different. Thousands of families have started out the year in virtual school—at home. As the weeks go on, they’re discovering that it’s anything but normal.

It doesn’t seem to matter if we’ve got one child at home or multiple children, the consensus is the same. Virtual school is tough—mentally, physically, and emotionally—on everyone! Let’s face it, school is more than just learning ABCs and 123s. It’s about social interaction, movement, collaboration, school spirit, and more. And it feels impossible to simulate that experience sitting at a desk, at home, connecting through a screen.

Parents are understandably anxious. Never before has it been mandated that kids spend this much time in front of screens for learning. In fact, there are compelling arguments to say that less time with screens (even for educational purposes) the better. So what do we do? How do we make the best of the situation we’re in? Today, we’re sharing three main ideas for creating a safer, more successful, more joyful (okay, okay ... more tolerable) virtual school experience in your home.

• Acknowledge the downside of virtual school and highlight the benefits.
• Design your child’s learning environment to promote screen safety and academic success.
• Plan your day in blocks. Decide together what kids can do after their online lessons.

Media Savvy Moms is a podcast by ParentsAware, an organization dedicated to helping parents talk to kids and teens about pornography and healthy sexuality. For complete show notes, visit http://parentsaware.info/index.php/podcast/.