Covid-19 has brought a lot of changes. One of the biggest changes is working and schooling from home. Since nobody is really sure of when things will get back to normal, there is a possibility that online schooling might be with us for a long time, and if it is a success, it might even stay with us long after the Covid-19 era.

Considering this, this week we will look at some of the main challenges our children face when schooling from home and how we, as parents, can provide solutions to these challenges.

1. The Challenge: Rushing Through Homework

Children always rush through homework but they are more tempted to do so when schooling online because they are already tired of sitting in front of the PC for a few hours during school. When it is time for homework, the environment hasn’t changed. They may want to get it over with so they can do something more fun. But for some kids, rushing can be an ongoing challenge. It that can lead to messy or incorrect homework. Sometimes, rushing can even cause kids to miss parts of assignments.

How Parents Can Help

1. Designate a set amount of time for homework – Set aside a specific amount of time for homework every weekday. Sometimes children rush through their homework because they feel that they have to sit in front of that desk until the homework is done. They imagine themselves sitting there for hours and that results in them rushing to get done. Let them know that homework time is one hour or one and half hours. In this way, they know that even if they take pride in their work, they won’t be sitting in front of that desk the entire day.

2. Help them get in the right mindset to do work – If your child is tired or stressed out from the day’s events, he may rush through his homework just to be done with it. When he seems fatigued or restless, consider letting the homework wait a little while. Let him enjoy some free time of play time for a while. When it’s time to tackle homework, he’ll have more energy to give it his best effort. Some parents have the policy of no play until homework is done. For online schooling, we need to rethink this policy.

3. Encourage him to look over his work – Remind your child to check his work for careless errors and sloppiness before he considers it done. You can even create a checklist with him: Did he follow the directions? Are the words spelled correctly? Did he use capitals when appropriate? Getting him in the habit of checking his work helps him set standards for good work. And that can help him feel a sense of pride in what he’s about to turn in.

4. Get him the help he needs – Some kids leave homework questions blank or rush through it because they’re frustrated by the work itself. They may have learning differences that affect their reading, writing or math skills. If you think that could be the case with your child, you may want to contact the teacher. Share your observations, and ask for the teacher’s advise. The sooner he gets the help he needs, the sooner he can focus on learning.

5. Remind him of his strengths – Kids who haven’t had a lot of success in school may not be confident about their ability to do homework well. So they may rush through it, thinking it’s not worth the effort. Remind your child of his strengths. Talk about a time he worked hard at something—big or small—and succeeded. This could help boost your child’s confidence. And that could help him approach homework with a more positive outlook.