Are Lockdowns Holding Your Kid’s Learning Back? Here’s How to Beat the Pandemic Schooling Slump

It’s more important now than ever for us as parents to be really organised, and make sure our children have everything they need. If you haven’t bought their school supplies yet, we’ve got a handy guide here to help you find your school list and make sure you get everything your child needs. When it comes to back-to-school planning, kids from different age groups all need different approaches in preparation, but basic guidelines can help all of them, especially the younger ones. The right stationery and tools can help boost their creativity, imagination, confidence, and even their enthusiasm!

Disruptions have been the name of the game since March 2020, and sadly, our kids are feeling it. As much as a year of schooling has been lost and with the Delta variant affecting youngsters more, learners are dealing with quarantines and sporadic bouts of learning from home. Not to mention the anxiety and emotional stress that comes along with it.
So what can we do? To help, we’ve put together 4 simple tips to help you help your kids through these trying times…

It’s been a tough year filled with change, and we’ve all had to adjust to working and teaching from home, and our children have had more to deal with than in a typical school year. To help them ease back into the school routine, you can help by creating a routine at home with set reading and school time, even while they’re still on holiday. This doesn’t have to be long periods of work; you can use the time to do reading, arts and crafts, puzzles or even colouring in. The focus here is not about the type of work they’re doing but more about getting your kids used to concentrating on one task for an extended period (and away from any TVs, iPads or digital screens). If you’re struggling to do this yourself and need some guidance, there are excellent online teaching resources that you can use.

If your child is anxious about heading back to school, there are a few options you can try. If they show high levels of anxiety, then the first step would be to see a therapist. Besides that, you can try mentally preparing them by asking them what the regular school day entails and then re-enacting those basic rituals at home, like homework time, reading time, first break, sports, and more. Be sure to include the Covid-19 rituals of mask-wearing, handwashing, and sanitising. This may also uncover if there’s anything specific that’s causing them to worry. You could even try driving through to the school and letting your children see it before it’s officially open – that can help reduce stress levels. And lastly, you can take them to go shopping for back-to-school supplies and their school snacks: the novelty of new stationery and items like school backpacks, bags, and pencil cases often helps them prepare. Then, you can help label their items to add a personal touch and help them get excited about going back to school.