All schoolchildren in the Philippines are staying home again for this school year, because of the pandemic. It is a grim reality that all of us have to accept, until the government gets the contagion under control or when there is a proven cure or preventive medicine.
Just like last year, many parents are faced with the question of whether to homeschool or not. Perhaps, you have decided that homeschooling is not for your family, because of work commitments, or maybe you don’t agree with the ideology.
So, you’re enrolling your child to his old (or new) school. His education this year will be delivered via online learning (synchronous or asynchronous), or perhaps modules that he can answer.
That’s fine. Taking any of the options presented by the Department of Education or by the private schools are fine. Your child will be fine.
But since your child will be home, whether or not you work from home, and the delivery mode of learning is different from before, you would want to support your child as much as you can. Yes?
So, how can you help/support/mentor your child in this fairly new and hopefully interim method of teaching or learning?
An experienced homeschooling mom’s tips to help your child in distance learning
There is so much to learn from the teaching and parenting experiences of homeschoolers that you can apply when supporting your child in his schooling. Imagine the hours spent studying different educational philosophies and methodologies, and hours spent being teacher AND parent at the same time.
Here are just a few of the things that you can do and practice as you take on a more active role in your child’s education, because whether homeschooling or not, you need to be hands-on in your child’s education during this crisis.
1. Focus on being a parent first
A common question that homeschoolers get asked is, “How can I be my children’s teacher when I am their parent?”
The good news is, you don’t have to be their teacher. You are their parent who teaches them, may it be academics or life skills or other important things that they have to know.
So, focus on being a parent first. Cultivate a good relationship with them, so when you teach them or ask them about their lessons, you would be in a good place.
If you’re doubting your skills as a parent or need a refresher, it’s not too late to learn how to be better.
Remember, there are no perfect parents, but we can make progress in our relationships by being intentional with our kids.
2. Learn how to motivate your child during this time
Though your child may appear to be “fine,” he is, for sure, undergoing an upheaval internally. Like all of us, they miss their friends (Zoom playdates are not the same, as we all know!), they miss doing fun things with other people, and yes, they even miss the “old life” setup—going to school for learning, and going home to you to relax.
Except for those with a degree in psychology or practicing as counselors, psychologists, and psychiatrists, we might not have the knowledge and confidence to help our children in this aspect.
This is why we need to seek out people who have been trained in dealing with crises and counseling families. It’s always worth it to listen to a new perspective that may help us with what we are facing.
3. Supplement with other materials if needed
Online learning, while a heroic effort by teachers and schools, may not be enough, in terms of a teacher’s attention. You might need to look around for other materials to supplement—and hopefully, to spark interest in—your child’s online learning.
There are a lot of materials that you can use, but remember, that not all homeschool materials are created equal. You will need to research, ask around, and try a few things in your home. Take every opportunity that you can to learn from other parents as well.
The one thing that you should do
If you noticed, all three tips above involve one word. One powerful word that can unlock the potential of your child’s learning to be exciting and interesting…. and it’s LEARN.
We invite you to be intentional in learning about how you can guide your child the best way possible during this time.
Learn how to be a better parent.
Learn how to motivate your child.
Learn how to choose materials that will spark your child’s love of learning.
Learn at just one place.
Get ready for the learning extravaganza that is called CHIPS.
Connect Homeschooling and Intentional Parenting Summit (CHIPS): Thrive at Home
If learning is the key, then look no further than the Connect Homeschooling and Intentional Parenting Summit or CHIPS.
Lovingly and thoughtfully organized by Educating for Life, the moms behind the annual Philippine Homeschool Convention, CHIPS is the ultimate learning place for those who are homeschooling (new and old), and those who want to guide their children in their distance learning.
Connect: Homeschooling and Intentional Parenting Summit is an online summit composed of 30+ talks by highly-respected, highly-sought speakers in parenting and homeschooling circles from the Philippines and abroad. The first summit was held last year, a few months after the pandemic started.
This year, CHIPS will be on July 30-August 1, 2021, with the theme “Thrive at Home.” Thus, the event has been dubbed as #CHIPSThriveAtHome for easier recall.
CHIPS is the perfect learning event not just for you, but for your whole family, as there will be talks for kids and teens, too.
* You can learn by interacting with some of the speakers in live Q&A sessions on those 3 days.
* You can learn to your heart’s content as you will have access to all 30+ talks for 30 days, to watch at your own convenience. It’s like the Netflix of home-based education, at least for a month!
* You can learn about different materials that you can use because there will be exhibitors from the education and publishing sectors.
Learn now—for your children, yourself, and your family. Click here for more details and to register.
About the author, Mariel Uyquiengco:
In addition to being a homeschooling mom of three, Mariel is a “kissing monster” of anyone below five years, and a bookworm who yearns to find time to read non-children’s books. Despite having mixed feelings about having an online presence, Mariel chooses to forego her desire for a “quiet life” and help others. You can find her at TheLearningBasket.com, which she started in 2011 and is a parenting resource hub that offers parent education classes, as well as articles on parenting and homeschooling.
Mariel is also one of the co-founders of Educating for Life, putting her love for planning and organization into practice as she acts as project manager and official worrywart for the group.