Distance learning enabled educational institutions and students to regain a sense of normalcy amidst the evolving COVID-19 situation. While it serves its purposes in keeping students engaged in school activities even from the safety of their homes, it does pose unique challenges to parents now and in the long run.
There’s no saying when governments will deem it safe to resume normal schooling, even with a vaccine in the horizon. This is why it’s best if parents like you expect that distance learning will be here to stay for at least another year, and what it means for everyone in the family.
There are a lot of struggles that come with adapting to this part of the new normal, but there are three noteworthy ones that parents should prepare for as early as now.
The End of Remote Work
Remote work will likely become a huge part of the corporate environment’s future. Despite its convenience and efficiency, though, more and more companies are bowing out of this idea. There are businesses in certain industries that simply cannot maximize their teamwork and output when their employees are not physically present in the same location. If you and your spouse belong to such industries, then you can expect that remote work might still be a temporary solution while the pandemic persists. What happens then when you both start regaining a semblance of your previous work routine?
Hiring help is a risky choice, and not everybody has the option to get a family member to stand in for them full time. Different family set-ups call for different solutions. To best gauge the likelihood of you encountering this problem and to what degree, communicate with your superiors. If they haven’t issued projected strategies yet, then you’ll want to know when they’ll share their plans with the rest of the company and what options your management is considering. This is especially important for parents who have children who are under the age of ten and thus need much supervision at home, specifically while attending virtual schooling.
The Increased Cost of Distance Learning Tools
With a prolonged distance learning comes increased costs. You’d think that after you invested in more gadgets and upgraded your internet subscription, it would somehow become easier to cope financially. This is true in some respect, but the worst of the expenses might not be over for some parents.
On a practical note, you can expect that you’ll make further investments in terms of technology. Children aren’t as cautious about how they use the family computers and their corresponding accessories. There are also damages that come with overuse, especially if more than one person is using the device for either school or work purposes.
Get ahead by looking up your repair options during the pandemic. Zebra repair services are among those that offer nationwide assistance to create a seamless and safe customer experience. Knowing exactly what to do and who to approach for repairs can drastically lessen the frustration of dealing with this once it happens.
The additional costs can also come from your school’s software upgrades. Prolonged distance learning amplifies the need for a more stable and reliable online learning platform. If your school is still transitioning from the traditional structure to a virtual one, then you can expect that this could come at your expense. Should this not be the case, then it’s worth considering various researches about distance learning prior to the pandemic that shows the costs is the same for the traditional ones, and sometimes even higher.
The Possible Disengagement from Learning
The news alone provides sufficient proof that students are disengaging from school as early as now. The struggle is grave for both educators and students alike, and with the majority of people traversing this territory for the first time, the lack of effective support is normal. Still, if distance learning is to last for another year, then parents should be the first to come up with ways to help their children continue schooling.
It would be best to communicate with your children more extensively about their experience. Make them aware of your concerns and work together to make distance learning work in the long run. The sooner you establish a sense of camaraderie and confidence with each other, the easier it could be to adapt to the coronavirus era together.
Better Preparations, Fewer Regrets
Parents have nothing to lose by being extra cautious in these trying times. Prepare for these possibilities financially, emotionally, and mentally to save yourself and your children from further frustrations down the road.
