If there was a word to describe the virus that descended upon the word in the year 2020, taking over multiple countries and people’s lives- it would be unprecedented. The Lockdown that followed changed our ways of living, of daily routines- the way we shop, eat, work and live. For many family units, it allowed us to spend blessed time together, time we would usually spend in our official cubicles punching out numbers and letters on keyboards to push through our work before deadlines. Or at least, that’s what we thought it would be like. Just like any other unknown situation, the lockdown brought with it unique challenges for those working from home. The cubicle was swapped out for the kitchen table and the quietness of the office for the chaps of a home that hosts young children.

For parents that usually send their kids to day-cares or playschools, the pressure of having to not only navigate work around the rowdiness of a bored child combined with the fact that despite school’s doing their absolute best to provide adequate resources to their students- they are responsible for most of their kids’ educational facilitation. This can seem like an immense task- especially when they’re in the background of your zoom meetings, scribbling on walls of refusing to cooperate.

It is important to steel yourself in these circumstances and do the best that you are able to within the holds of your ability. % tips to help parent’s trying their first hand at home-schooling is:

• Let them set their own routines. By that we don’t mean that you should let them wreak havoc on the house whenever they want to, but rather experiment with different schedules. Try to figure out at what times they seem to be most productive, what times they seem to get tired
• Ask them what they want to learn- explore your son/daughter’s childlike curiosity for all it’s worth- you’ll be surprised by their ideas!
• Involve them in simple daily tasks that allows them to acquire practical skills build dexterity. Make them feel like they’re being helpful and are contributing to the household
• Read to them and read with them- be it at bedtime or as part of a learning activity, indulging in stories can strengthen their imagination, creativity and knowledge (and also keep them interested!)
• Don’t forget that you are a facilitator and as such your main responsibility is to give your child the tools and allow them to fins their own ways of learning. Ask them if they require help, and make sure they know you’ll be there to support them but don’t overwhelm pr pressure them to do more than they can handle

– Utsa Mohana Mukherjee 🙂