Until a few weeks ago, you must’ve not imagined that both you and your child would be working and schooling from home, respectively. But the lockdown in India due to COVID-19 (Coronavirus ) turned this scenario into a reality. The pandemic is changing the way children attend school. While many schools have entirely shut down, many are still conducting online classes through webinars/online meetups and e-learning modules like pre-recorded lectures and slides. Before coronavirus disrupted our routines, school hours gave a breather to parents. But now parents have to attend to their office responsibilities from home while simultaneously monitoring their children’s virtual classes. So below are a few ways in which you can ace both duties.

Separate study and work zones in your house, so that neither you nor your child is disturbed during work or virtual school hours. Use earphones so that you don’t interrupt each other during classes or meetings.

In the same way that you plan your work schedule, help your child plan his/her study schedule a day in advance. Children over the age of 8 will be adept enough to manage it all on their own. But you should be especially looking out for children below the age of 8. Do a test run on the device used by your child to attend the virtual classes to make sure it works fine, in advance.

To ensure that your child is learning during the virtual lessons, conduct a mini quiz based on the day’s lectures at the end of the day. While this seems like a lot of effort, it will encourage your child to pay attention during class. However, doing this every day is not easy for working parents. If you have hired a private tutor for your child, request them to conduct online classes and delegate this task to them.

If your child’s exams are inching closer, help your child plan and prepare in advance for them. That way, you can avoid any last-minute panic.

In the case where both parents are working, divide subjects amongst yourself and pick those subjects that you are good at. In the case of one working spouse and one stay at home spouse, the working spouse can take on some household responsibilities so that the stay-at-home spouse can dedicate more time to the child’s academics.

Don’t expect perfection from your children as it is an overwhelming time for them too. Instead, give them the space to feel comfortable and safe to bring their problems to you.

Keep in touch with other parents and teachers to ensure that your child isn’t missing out on any additional classes or important announcements. WhatsApp groups are a common medium of sharing information for teachers and parents alike. Keep a tab on these groups so that you are up to date on all happenings.

Treat every working day the same way you would treat it if you had to step out to go to work. Wake up on time, exercise, bathe and get to your desk on time and don’t allow any additional leisure time during office hours. Children learn best from examples. So ensure that you are giving them an ideal to look up to.

The best part about schooling from home is the extra time you get to spend with each other. So use the spare time at hand to bond with your family.