At first glance, you might think working and learning from home would make it easier to wake up in the morning. After all, there isn’t as far to go! However, many families have found their morning routine during COVID to be even more hectic than usual. We’ll provide you with some easy-to-implement tips to help kids wake up for e-learning and stay engaged the whole day.
Set expectations with your child
Before getting into the “how” of waking up on time for virtual learning, it’s important to establish the “why” it’s important to wake up in time for class.
Have an open conversation with your child in which you empathize with the struggle (for example, “I understand why waking up is hard. I like to sleep in, too!”) followed by a discussion about why waking up matters.
Explain that missing their first meeting of the day may hurt their attendance or participation grade, and even more importantly may cause them to get behind academically. Many teachers use their morning meetings to explain the assignments for the day, so missing this could cause the rest of the day to feel like a scramble.
Make sure your child has the chance to play an active role in the conversation. Give them space to ask questions and come to their own conclusions. That way, they’re more invested in the outcome.
Establish good sleep hygiene
Once you and your child are on the same page and have agreed that it’s important to wake up on time for e-learning, it’s time to get into the steps to success. Adults and children alike need to practice good sleep hygiene; that is, keeping a consistent bedtime and wake-up time.
You can help your child sleep more soundly by avoiding food and drink in the hours leading up to bedtime and cutting TV and screen time at least one hour before bedtime to avoid the blue light disruption that comes from screens. Use this time for board games, bathtime or a nightly storytime.
The more well-rested your child is, the more likely they’ll wake up on time for their education from home and feel alert and ready to go.
Stick to a daily e-learning routine
Waking up can be much less overwhelming for your child if they know what to expect each day. When your child is learning at home, it’s important to set a distance learning schedule that fits your lives.
Aside from the daily schedule offered from school, keep one as a family as well. Sit down to breakfast around the same time each day if at all possible, and use your screen-free time to get outside or exercise.
In addition, help your child establish a set time to complete asynchronous homework and assignments so they don’t get behind and feel overwhelmed.
Keep your child’s learning space organized
It’s essential to keep your child’s learning space organized so they can easily access materials, especially if they’re getting their education from home. When materials are spread all over the house, your child may feel frantic and disorganized. To combat this, ensure they have a space that’s all theirs.
This area should contain everything they need to succeed. This includes all of their tech devices and chargers (and make sure all devices charge overnight to avoid battery issues during the day). Additionally, keep a notebook or journal, writing utensils, crayons, glue, scissors, and any other supplies nearby.
Offer incentives and rewards to motivate them to wake up
If all else fails, it’s okay to offer incentives! Your child may need more extrinsic motivation to get started with their day, and that is fine. Talk with your child and come up with a plan together; perhaps they can choose the movie for weekend movie night if they wake up on time all 5 days, or they get to have a special dinner. Make sure you involve your child in this process to make sure the incentive is actually something they find motivating!
With all the changes in our morning routines during COVID, helping kids wake up for virtual learning can feel like one more thing on an already full plate. There’s no need to come up with an earth-shattering plan; just take small steps to improve your routine and communicate with your child all along the way!
