Back to school was not the same

At this time of year, much attention is given to back-to-school activities. Late August into early September has become a season wrapped around the many aspects of learning, getting back together and sharing the excitement of sports. This year, the landscape was and is entirely different. In normal conditions, the prelude to autumn is usually a boom for retailers as “Back to School” sales pop up everywhere. Although sad to see the summer end, kids could always take solace in that shiny newlunchbox, a special backpack or those cool sneakers. But these are far from normal times. While families, educators and policy makers are in the midst of shaping the best ways to continue providing education during an unprecedented school year, the days of Trapper Keepers and pencil boxes have been replaced by kitchen table desks and laptop curricula.

As COVID-19 forced schools to close in the spring, moving education to virtual learning, children have been absent from the traditional brick and mortar setting for six months or more. This is something families have never experienced, and although most virtual experiences in the spring did not meet parent expectations, they need to be prepared for the possibility that the entire 202021 school year could be conducted from the confines of their homes. Although we have operated in a work at home environment for the last fewmonths, this is not going to be an easy transition. Parents working fromhome and children learning from home are not standard procedures. As the weather starts to cool, the days get shorter and we spendmore time inside, stress levels will rise. There are, however, several steps we can take to make things smoother as most kids are back at a very different school:

Reading. Kids came off a summer vacation on the heels of a three-month spring break. If they are able to read, get them started on a newbook. If they can’t read as of yet, start reading to them. The brain needs stimulation and reading increases attention spans, focus and concentration. It is also a great stress reliever.

Exercise. Physical fitness should be an important part of the home schooling process. Retaining a healthy weight, building and maintaining muscle and strengthening their immune system are all benefits to kids exercising.

Schedule. Children struggle with time management. Have them put together a schedule with times for certain tasks, including free time, reading time and time to exercise. Just because they can roll out of bed at 7:55 a.m. and be in a Zoomclass at 8:00may be what they want to do, but don’t let it happen. Their schedule should have a certain wake-up time, similar to the routine if they needed to catch a bus. Have them eat, get dressed and share some conversation before their school day starts.

Classroom. The classroom is now in the home. Designate a specific learning space for your kids. This may be in their bedrooms or next to you at the kitchen or dining room table. The area should be their appointed space for learning. Such consistency will give them a sense of responsibility as they view and accept this space as their personal home office.

Minimize distractions. This could be the most challenging aspect of virtual school. Doorbells, voices, barking dogs and cell phone buzzes will occur on a daily basis. Try to keep doors closed, phones on mute, television sets and radios off.

Dry run on technology. The first day of school is usually your chance to find your way around a child’s new school or a new route to classes in their old school. This tradition, of course, has not occurred for the majority of you. Opening day lessons, instead, featured how to work your laptop. Teachers introduced themselves and described what they would be teaching and explained their expectations of the students in an alternate classroom environment. If you have not yet walked through the technology your children’s school is using for assignment submission and classroom work, take some time to familiarize yourself with the process. This can lower the stress level and make these unusual days of school less overwhelming.

Teamwork. This task is not going to be easy. Technology doesn’t always work the way you want it to. Some days are going to be frustrating. Keep open lines of communication with your kids. Check-in with them during the day. See howtheir classes are going. Provide an understanding, sympathetic ear when they have to vent (and they will and probably already have). Let them know that you, too, may be experiencing anxieties or frustration similar to theirs as you all work from home.

Enjoy the first week of autumn, and look forward to the cool crisp days ahead. Stay positive and open-minded about the virtual world we are living in as you dream of normalcy returning in the not too distant future. We wish you all the best of luck as your children and/or grandchildren continue to participate in a history-making educational endeavor.

Pete Hoover was destined to be a financial advisor. He has always been intrigued by numbers and money matters. They represent captivating puzzles to be analyzed, shaped and fit into place as pictures of financial solidarity. For nearly 40 years, Hoover has tackled those financial puzzles. In 2005, he launched Hoover Financial Advisors, located in Malvern. Hoover can be reached by emailing pete@hfaplanning.

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