Children And Parents Boycott Online classes And Mark A Virtual bandh

The pandemic has been difficult. Children have been particularly affected. Since the lockdown, schools started online classes for all grades. With prolonged online classes, increased screen time, it meant limited social and peer-to-peer communication for children. It led to a major drop in. student-teacher interaction in person. As per parents who participated in this Bandh, Children's learning as well as health have taken a toll. Reduced motivation, ability to express themselves, difficulty in time management on one side and watery eyes, headaches, burning sensation on the other have been some of the effects of online classes on children. 

On Monday, over 3000 parents in Gurugram criticized School Classes in a nationwide online protest. More than 50 parents' bodies joined and observed a Virtual Bandh. 

Parents took to social media to protest against the private schools. Parents highlighted that these schools are charging more than tuition fees and also that they are not OK with their child attending online classes. As part of the protest, children did not attend any online school class and refused to record attendance. However, students having exams were exceptions to this bandh protest. 

Such protests have been observed in other cities against fees which includes tution fees besides other fees components.
 

While the matter is still going on, Here are some tips for you to help your child cope with any undue stress during online school classes:

1. Maintain breaks

Daily Routine is important for your child. This is not just for schools but also at home. Your child's performance will be better if they followed a routine. 

Include breaks in their routine and encourage them to get up and move around during the breaks.

2. Be kind And Patient

Be gentle and understanding with your child as they are adjusting to this new learning schedule. Your child may not be making an excuse when they say that their head is aching. There will be issues. You could listen to them and understand their concerns.

Watch this Video where Psychologist Vidya Ganpathy gives important suggestions for your kids' online classes

3. Allow Your Child to Interact with their friends 

Your child may be feeling the effects of being distanced from their friends. Allow your child to interact with their friends and family members. Video chats are a great way to get social in these times.

4. Have One on One conversations 

Have open and free conversations with your child. Encourage your child to express their feelings with you without any hesitation. 

Make sure you hear with patience and understand their concerns. Different children react to stress differently, and empathy can go a long way in helping a child feel understood. Acknowledgeing your child's feelings and assuring them with positivity and kindness can help your child in these times. 

5. Remember to schedule time for fun

Some fun with your child can lighten up things for them on a day-to-day basis. Use this time as an opportunity to bond.

You could also watch this video from our Clinical Psychologist. She shares different strategies to help you reduce screen time for your child. She recommends having conversations with your child to talk about the pros and cons of excessive screen time. 

Watch this video on Online Classes, Homework and Screen Time .

6. Tips for Children 

Your child's sitting posture should be right. It would be good if they sit on a straight-backed chair which has armrests. The screen can be placed at some distance, about two feet away at eye level. Good posture will reduce back and neck problems and aches. 

Larger screen devices like a desktop or a laptop are better over small mobile screens. Make sure the lighting of the room is good and screen brightness is optimum. You can also use Screen protectors to reduce excessive reflection.

The room where your child is sitting should be well ventilated. Sitting for long hours under the fan or air conditioning can cause dryness.

Children can also follow the 20-20-20 rule, where every 20 minutes, the child could take a 20 second break and look at an object 20 feet away. You can do it together with your child in your break time as well to inculcate a positive habit. 

This will relax the eyes and ease the strain. 

Besides these, there are certain things that teachers can follow. Teacher needs to give appropriate breaks during classes - both short breaks and long breaks. Online classes should be scheduled during the day so children do not use these devices in the night. Ideally a child should not be looking at these screens 1 or more hours before they go to sleep.  

Teacher can assign at least one session of physical exercise. This could be yoga or a dance class.

For homework, encourage your child to use their textbooks and notebooks more and avoid digital devices.

Good sleep, healthy and nutritious food and physical exercise are important for health and well-being for your child. As your child experiences this new normal, it is important more than ever to inculcate good practices in your child's routine and make conscious efforts to make your child's learning experiences better.