Coronavirus and parenting: What parents can do to help self-isolating children
CORONAVIRUS spreading across the UK has led to the closure of schools, but what can parents do to help self-isolating children?
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Boris Johnson has announced the closure of schools across the country starting on Friday, as the UK tries to stop further spread of coronavirus. From Friday, schools, nurseries and colleges across the UK are to close to all pupils except those of key workers.
Mr Johnson said those in England will close their gates on Friday until further notice.
He also urged parents not to leave children in the care of grandparents or older relatives as they are at higher risk of becoming seriously ill with coronavirus.
The Prime Minister said meals and vouchers would be provided for pupils who currently receive free school lunches, but said: "exams will not take place as planned in May and June".
He said schools had been under "constant review" but now was the time to apply "further downward pressure" on the upward curve of the virus by closing schools.
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But what can parents do to help self-isolating children?
With children now facing an unknown period of time off school, college or nursery, parents may be feeling daunted at the prospect.
Schools have been preparing home working packs, so learning can still take place at home for some.
Nicola Anderson - Head of Customer Support at leading EdTech firm MyTutor gave some advice for parents looking to support their child's education at home.
Make sure they’ve got a space to work and the equipment they need
Ms Anderson said: "Set up a desk in a quiet corner of the house where your child can keep their laptop, textbooks and notes - they’ll find it much easier to focus and the rest of the family can continue life as normal.
"As schools would normally provide things like flashcards, exercise books and planners, it may be worth preparing these items now should closures be enforced at short notice."
Set good habits around phone use
While it can be tempting to sit around on their phones all day, try not to let phones dominate their time.
Ms Anderson said: "Teens spend a lot of time on apps speaking with their friends anyway - and isolation will only increase their desire to communicate socially.
"While some communication will be positive for their mental health, the opposite is true when social media fuels feelings of isolation and anxiety.
"You’ll need to set some ground rules for how phones are used during the day, and keep an eye on your child’s mood."
Help them organise their day (and make sure they go outside!)
The temptation can be to have a lie-in, stay in their pyjamas and not really do much.
However, Ms Anderson says having structure can help with motivation and energy.
She said: "Without the structure of the school day, and without the engagement of peers, motivation and energy can take a dive.
"Help your child set up a timetable that’ll work for them and covers the subjects they need. Divide up periods of study with active breaks.
"Make sure your child moves, goes outside, eats meals at the appropriate times and has offline conversations."
Have some go-to resources lined up
Learning from home can be tricky without a teacher to ask for help, but there are resources you can use to support your child.
Ms Anderson explains: "You’re likely to run into situations where your child doesn’t understand some of their course content and you’re unable to help.
In these situations, having some resources ready is wise.
"Look up the specifications for the subjects your child is studying from the relevant exam boards and bookmark any online resources that can help you out.
"Save My Exams and S-cool are two handy sites."
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Look for online support
Studying on your own, without the collective support of a class and teacher can be tricky - but there are ways to help.
Ms Anderson suggests looking for an online tutor to help out with those difficult topics.
She said: "Online lessons are like having a face-to-face skype call with a tutor but with an interactive whiteboard on the screen too so students can upload documents and make notes.
"A tutor can keep students on track with the syllabus and give them a much-needed boost of confidence in what is a confusing and challenging time."
Keep an eye out for mental health issues
If your child is off school for a period of time and cannot see their friends, are worried about coronavirus or are just not feeling okay, there are places to turn to.
Ms Anderson said: "What is important is to look out for signs that your child isn’t coping mentally with a home set-up.
"Despondency and withdrawal or anger and higher-than-usual levels of irritability can all point to stress.
"There are lots of great services you can call on for support such as Kooth and YoungMinds."