Since the outbreak of Coronavirus there have been many challenges and uncertainties. The last couple of months have been somewhat surreal circumstances and unfamiliar territory for many Australians. With restrictions in place, jobs have been lost, we are unable to see our families and friends and our kids no longer attend school and instead are learning from home. All this has become the “new normal” that we have had to try and embrace.
Being a parent to school-aged kids, I was unsure how this whole remote learning was going to work. Here I was thinking, I’m no teacher how will I assist my kids? How can I give them the proper skills in academic learning? But I soon discovered the best thing I could do was be there for them if it all got too much. I could make them their favorite snack, go outside and kick the footy with them or have a chat with them about their favorite Tik Tok. It was these sorts of gestures that would make them feel better on days that proved a little overwhelming.
This is a new adventure for all of us, parents, teachers and students. I think the schools and teachers are doing a wonderful job with it all and are really thinking about their students well-being in such a foreign situation. As parents we need to remember that we are teachers, we have taught our kids from day one about life skills and values and will continue to do so as they grow. So, be kind to yourself and do the best you can do in these current times and like the saying, “this too shall pass”.