Although online learning has been the norm since the middle of 2020, virtual classes have had their fair share of difficulty for students, parents, and teachers. Without face-to-face interaction, the new mode of teaching presents several challenges — reduced engagement, lack of collaboration, stress, and exhaustion. As a parent, you want to be instrumental in helping prevent online learning fatigue in your children.
As they spend more and more hours and months sitting in front of a computer and listening to virtual lectures, there’s bound to be difficulties in the way they absorb information. This in turn, could affect the quality of their learning or even their mental health. Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to combat this type of learning fatigue. Read on to learn more.
Change Up Your Child’s Study Space
You might not know it, but maybe your child’s year-old study space is in need of a fresh makeover. Sure, they may have the most comfortable seating and desk space — but if your child feels that the design is outdated or isn’t helping the quality of their learning, then it may be time to redecorate.
For example, you can make the room more vibrant by repainting the walls, adding colorful (but non-distracting) decor, file organizers, or creating a small space where your child can do productive activities during their break. You’ll want to make sure that the room is fully conducive to your child’s learning while also adding aesthetically pleasing elements that can breathe new life into the space.
Adjust Their Routine
Routines are crucial in giving your child some sense of normalcy and structuring during a normal online learning day. Over time, however, these same routines can feel monotonous and stale, which is why it’s important that you introduce something new every once in a while.
During breaks, for example, you can ask your child what they’d like to do after school. This gives your child something to look forward to and become more motivated as they take on today’s classes.
Another way to change up your child’s routine is by spending a few moments of bonding with them during their breaks. Take this opportunity to get to know how your child is doing in school or simply play short but fun activities with them.
Encourage Them to Be Active
Since your child is no longer in the regular school campus environment, they might be less active than they were before. Although online classes demand their attention from the start and end of every school day, the lack of physical activity may be affecting your child’s focus and attention.
As much as possible, encourage your child to be active. In the morning before classes begin, for example, you can engage in warm-up exercises with your child to help them feel energized. When your child is on a break, you can encourage them to do simple stretches or any sweat-breaking activities that can get them moving.
Make Sure They Know How to Use the Learning Platform
Finally, another possible cause of fatigue — and possibly, frustration — with your child’s online classes is that they don’t know how to use the learning platform. Technical difficulties such as forgetting log-in details or a weak internet connection may hamper your child’s enthusiasm for their classes.
To avoid this from happening, see to it that you and your child take time to understand the platform and navigate it properly. It also helps to keep a master list of all details that they may need, such as usernames, passwords, emails, and other channels your child uses for school.
Key Takeaway
Does your child seem less enthused about their classes? Maybe they’re experiencing online learning fatigue. This can be the result of spending several hours, days, and months, sitting in front of a screen, especially during the new normal where physical classes are not possible.
There are, however, some habits you can practice to prevent online learning fatigue in your children. In this guide, we’ve elaborated on several of the following: changing up their study space, making adjustments to their daily routines, encouraging them to be active, and making sure they know how to properly use their online materials. The more you and your child consistently practice these, the more they’ll be encouraged to attend their classes and nourish their love for learning, even at home.
