How to Make a Bumpy Transition Seamless
Less than two years ago when COVID-19 hit, parents were perplexed about what was going to happen to their kids’ education. The transition from offline studies to that of an online one was difficult and erratic. It made everyone deal with a lot of issues like anxiety, loneliness, lack of proper schedules and whatnot. However, you all managed to get past all the hurdles and aced the online life with your kids. The time has come for another transition now. This time, it’s going from computers to the real world.
With an online mode of living, kids have not been offered enough opportunities to socialise with other people. They are now used to working alone, waking up 10 minutes before classes, eating and sleeping as and when they please. Television and the internet have become their modes of entertainment. The number of kids going to therapy has increased during this transition. They are facing issues like peer anxiety, inability to concentrate, lower grades, stubbornness, etc. We want to make this transition for you and your kids an easy one. So, here are a few things you can do to make things easier for you and your children.
Restore routines
Routines have the power to make children feel safe and comfortable. They enhance confidence and maturity. Good routines need to be well planned and predictable. You can start by setting a wake-up time and lights off time for your kids. Then, move on to regular lunch and dinner times. Once, you are done with these things, half of your problems will resolve.
Dress up, go out and interact
With COVID, children got more comfortable inside their homes. But one goes
out, it is nice to be presentable. Going back to school also means putting an
effort into how one can present himself. So, take your children out to meet people
and help them dress up. Bring out topics that they can talk about around other
people. Engage in more social activities.
Organise more play dates
Interaction is not limited to adults and family members. Kids also need to
socialise with other kids their age in order to feel comfortable in schools around
them. Organise more playdates outside the comfort of your home. Take them to
parks, painting workshops, movies, etc. Let them talk to their friends in person.
Send them back to offline classes
Don’t limit your children to just playdates and dress ups. Send them back to
offline classes slowly and tactfully. Instead of introducing sudden changes,
prepare them with gradual changes. For eg- Online English classes for kids can
be slowly transitioned to offline English classes. The same method can be
applied to other subjects as well.
Reduce screen times gradually
More and more therapists are observing random bursts of anger in kids when
they are denied internet access. Make sure to reduce screen times gradually.
Give them likeable options of what they can do instead of playing games or
watching movies on their computers. Replace these activities with fun activities
like playing outdoor games. If they are not too fond of going outside, you can also
start with indoor games like Ludo, Snakes and Ladders, Scrabble, etc.
Offer socio-emotional support
Children might find it difficult to share their concerns with parents about the
issues that they face in school. Make sure to ask them questions about their day,
their friends, their teachers and their studies. Try to have an in-depth
conversation about your day so that they feel easier to share the deeper stuff.
Some children may not perform well and feel that they are being judged by their
peers and teachers. If you feel that that’s what your children are going through,
please talk to their teachers and counsellors,
Help your kids participate
Make them participate in class and extracurricular activities. Working alone at
home is very different from working in groups. They need to feel confident but
that will not come from the first activity that they participate in. They need to do it
constantly to get back out there. Helping kids participate is a very important
process of grooming children. Teachers can help shy children come forward and
talk.
Don’t miss out on safety
All of this said, we still don’t know how the virus works and how the situation is
going to turn out. Going out there doesn’t have to mean being unsafe. Practice
sanitary routines with your children. Frequent sanitisation, masks up when
required and the 20-second hand-washing rule must be followed as much as
possible.
Little Genius hopes that you have a safe and trouble-free transition yet again and
we are there for you no matter what the new challenges may bring.