We know that many families are going through new challenges during the pandemic, especially with the schools closing due to the lockdown.

Although schools have tried to keep students engaged in online learning, studies have shown that remote learning does not work well for every child. It has actually created more challenges and hardships for parents who are working with their kids at home.

The main concerns that parents have about online learning are:

• Kids have too much screen- time
• There is no face-to-face interaction with the teachers or classmates
• Technical difficulties such as with internet connections, computer lagging, sound issues, etc.
• Not all children and parents are proficient in using computers
• Muscle & joint pain along with eye strain from computer use
• Increased anxiety in parents and their children because of worrying about academics
• Children are losing their interest in studies
• Kids are playing online games or skipping assignments

How can you support your child’s mental health through online learning?

In this difficult phase, prioritizing our kids’ mental health is really important. Children are really struggling and parents are unsure how to help them. It may seem that the consequences of online school may be daunting for our kids’ mental health; there are some effective ways to help kids thrive through online learning.

1. Manage expectations. It is important to have realistic expectations of your child and recognize that there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all approach to online learning. Some kids may need extra help or may even need to not take some classes for the sake of their mental health.
2. Help minimize tech anxiety. If you don’t think that you will be able to help your child with technical glitches, seek help from school officials, friends or family members who can help your child familiarize themselves with the learning platform. Ensure that they know how to upload files, join a class or share a photo, etc.
3. Keep communication open with teachers. Encourage your child to communicate with their teachers so they know what’s working and what’s not working for your child. Help your child’s teacher get a sense of his or her personality, interest and activities to make it easier for the teacher to engage your child remotely.
4. Help them to stay connected. It can be tough on kids when they don’t have a chance to access social connections at school like they used to. Come up with creative and diverse ways to help them stay connected with their friends and classmates.
5. Encourage screen breaks. We know that screen-time has increased tremendously since our kids started online learning. It can be draining for some kids and the blue light emitted from screens affects children’s sleep. Sitting for long periods of time in front of a screen can also cause muscle stiffness and eye strain. Try collectively putting away the screens as a family and think of creative ways to connect with each other.

Remember that remote learning is not easy and it can be very challenging for some children. It’s important for us as parents to recognize that all children have different learning styles and for us to support them as much as we can.

What You Can Do Next

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About the Founder

Internationally Recognised Emotional Literacy & Mindfulness Expert Tenille Bentley is the founder of The Emotional Literacy and Mindfulness Academy and the author of the children’s emotional literacy books with Jazzy and Pinky and The Energy Ball. Giving children a wonderful introduction to understanding their emotions and what do with them.

Tenille has been featured on Channel 9 News and other major outlets. Her work has been recognised in the community by The Governor of Western Australia, The Prime Minister of Australia and Australian Financial Review.

As a child she experienced severe anxiety and emotional traumas as well as bullying which left her feeling isolated, and unable to understand why she was feeling the way she did. As an adult this impacted her ability to make healthy decisions because she didn’t have the tools to understand her emotions. 

Which is why she is passionate about equipping parents with the tools to support their children to make better decisions in life and healthy ones to help support and create a balanced home life.