COVID-19 has definitely put everyone to the test. But the pandemic has especially put a lot of pressure on parents. You have the same weekly tasks to finish and work to do, but many of us are doing it from our own homes. On top of it all, kids are being switched to hybrid or distance learning school models, which means much more time at home and subsequently, responsibilities for you! We get it – it can be a lot.

One of the best things you can do for both you and your kids’ productivity is to get them a good environment to do their homework in, and to help keep them focused. Even if you’re not homeschooling your kids, distance learning will affect their productivity and motivation, and changing the environment they are working in can help with reducing your stress load and improving their efficiency on getting homework done.

Here are a couple of tips on what you can do:

Dedicate a Room

Bedrooms are distracting. It’s where your kids sleep, play, and hang out, and there’s absolutely no mental association with productivity when it comes to bedrooms. If your kid is having a hard time focusing and they have been attempting to study in their bedroom, find another room for their classroom setup.

If you have an extra office room, or even an open area of one of your home’s floors, dedicate it to them as a space to work! Kids are significantly more efficient with schoolwork when they have an area to work in that’s free of the distractions of their own bedrooms.

Keep a Daily Routine

Just because they don’t have to wake up for the bus doesn’t mean they should sleep in and do their work whenever. A lack of a routine is a great way to deplete all motivation to get work done.

Keep your kids on a daily routine! Have everyone out of bed by “x” time. Make them eat breakfast and have them get started at the same time each day. These types of routines are helpful for all of us. We all know the college freshman phenomenon when we first were in control of our own schedules and decided to procrastinate everything... Keep your kids on a schedule to get their homework done and stick to it for the school year.

Talk with Other Parents

I don’t think we really need to tell you that. It’s probably been the main topic for parents who’s kids are being moved to hybrid or distance learning methods. But talking with other parents is incredibly helpful when figuring out how you will manage having your kids at home for the whole semester.

What’s the best type of person to talk to? Parents who have homeschooled before.

Even if you’re not “homeschooling”, and are still working a full-time job, they will have a ton of insight into how to keep your kids focused and productive without driving yourself crazy!

Talking with other parents may give you ideas that you’d never find on any internet forum or Facebook group. Hear what other people are doing and try it yourself. As the school year goes on, lean into the things that are working until you have a system that puts everyone at ease.