Are you one of the many families out there dealing with distance learning for the second year? This back to school season life doesn’t look any different than it did halfway through the last school year. Distance learning means your children are home full or part time, attending online classes with their teachers.
Many schools have started to return to school with some sort of hybrid option where students attend in-person classes a few times a week and partake in distance learning the rest of the week. This hybrid model is meant to help ease the risk of contracting the virus that’s hit our world.
While distance learning makes it easier for your children to continue their education in a safe environment, it’s not always easy for busy families to keep up with this new schedule. Today we’re sharing some distance learning hacks to help busy families adjust to this new lifestyle.
Start Planning Meals
Making healthy meals will take time away from your busy day. This is why you must start planning meals. Figure out what you want to serve your family for the week by selecting meals you can make on the weekend, store in the freezer or fridge, and heat up to serve during your busy weeknights.
Pack Lunches
Your children may be home, but that doesn’t mean you have to stop packing lunches. If you’re working remotely and your kids are attending distance learning classes, you may not want to pause to make lunch. Pack your children’s school lunches the night before so your kids can grab and eat during their scheduled lunchtime each day.
Get Active
Children need physical activity to help keep their mind focused. Your child is stuck in front of a computer for hours on end for distance learning. While they do have scheduled breaks, you must try to get active as often as possible. Find creative ways to get active in between their classes, and take a long walk together after distance learning is over for the day.
Use a Timer
While your child may need to stick to the schedule laid out by the classroom teacher during distance learning, you should use a timer to help with transitions during the day. Purchase an egg timer or use your smartphone timer to ding whenever a class session is over or break time has arrived so that you can spend some time with your children in between work and study time.
These are just a few distance learning hacks for busy families that can help you connect with your child, encourage mindfulness and focus, all the while putting limits on how much time is spent in front of electronics while distance learning.