Can Parents Survive Distance Learning? The answer is highlighted in 7 Tips! Kids with Attention Challenges & Remote Learning, your child is the main focus of distance learning, but don’t forget a KEY ingredient to your child’s success: YOU. It might be easy to glance over, but it is so important to take care of yourself through this distance learning marathon.
Like your child, you have needs to meet in order to sustainably do well each day. You might not be convinced that this is essential yet, but trust me, it is. Your child can sense your stress level in how you interact with them and if you’re not in a calm state, you’re not going to get very far with them.
Here are our Tips to Help Parents Survive Distance Learning
- Reminder: You’re human.
This seems obvious, but reminding yourself that you don’t have to be perfect and that you are trying your best is really important. Pick up some mantras that resonate with you and maybe even post it up by your bedside to encourage yourself!
- Take breaks for yourself, too!
Just as you are working in breaks for your child, make sure to schedule breaks for yourself, too. You might be thinking, “But how will I do that when I need to stay with my child?”. A break for yourself can be as simple as making some tea or having a few quiet moments to yourself while your child is taking their break.
You can even think about a setting that would provide a break for both you and your child. Perhaps taking a stroll around the neighborhood or stopping by a local cafe to pick up a pastry together.
- Practice self-care.
This is a term that is thrown around a lot, but when taken seriously, it can actually create real, tangible differences in your life. What self-care looks like is defined by you. What makes you happy? What relaxes you? Maybe it’s taking a bubble bath, taking time to visit a garden, watching sports, doing some yoga or making ceramics. You get to choose! Just make sure to incorporate those treats regularly. You deserve it!
- It’s not just you. This is remote learning is actually really tough.
It may or may not bring you relief, but you are not alone. So many parents/caregivers are experiencing the same feelings, the same exhaustion, the same…” When is this going to be over??”. Don’t beat yourself up. You can do this and you are more resilient than you know.
If you haven’t been able to yet, see if you can reach out to a fellow parent/caregiver to vent a bit over the phone or through video chat. You’d be surprised how much a little bit of solidarity can provide.
- Tomorrow is a new day.
If today was crappy, it was crappy. There’s no way around that. What is great is that there’s a fresh start awaiting you when tomorrow rolls around. Let today go. Overthinking it isn’t going to make it any less frustrating than it was.
These really are unprecedented times with significant new stressors to manage. If you haven’t tried therapy yet and you’ve always wondered if it might be nice to have a space of your own to just vent with someone who isn’t going to provide the bias that you might get from family or friends, now might be a good time to give therapy a try. Explore What’s Next even offers Tele-Therapy because we know it’s not always easy to get out. If you don’t like it, you don’t have to continue, but at least you gave yourself that opportunity for support.
Explore What’s Next has a whole team of therapists who can assist you during this time. If you’re interested, give us a call! Our therapists offer a complimentary consultation so that you can see if it might be a good fit for you!
Kaylee Falcon is an Associate MFT, School Based Art Therapist in the Los Angeles area. When she isn’t working with amazing neurodiverse youth, she can be found crafting ceramics and needle-felted puppets. Kaylee is also a very big fan of practicing self-care via streaming shows with her partner, Chris, and cute pups, Westley and Peanut (the ferocious chihuahua).
