{"id":99992,"date":"2020-04-24T09:15:48","date_gmt":"2020-04-24T16:15:48","guid":{"rendered":"\/blogs\/?p=99992"},"modified":"2024-07-01T05:50:09","modified_gmt":"2024-07-01T12:50:09","slug":"school-from-home-the-challenges-of-online-learning-for-parents-and-kids","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/family-safety\/school-from-home-the-challenges-of-online-learning-for-parents-and-kids\/","title":{"rendered":"School #FromHome: The Challenges of Online Learning for Parents and Kids"},"content":{"rendered":"

School #FromHome: The Challenges of Online Learning for Parents and Kids<\/strong><\/h2>\n

With classrooms closed and millions of kids faced with schooling at home, parents are wondering how do we make this work? <\/em>If you\u2019re asking yourself that question, you\u2019re certainly not alone. Earlier this month, we conducted a study, Distance Learning Challenges<\/em>. We reached out to 1,000 parents of kindergarten through twelfth-grade students in the U.S. and asked for their thoughts.<\/p>\n

Our goal of the survey was to better understand what pressures parents are feeling, and we wanted to identify how we could possibly help, even if in some small way, as children take up going to class online. Here\u2019s what parents had to say:<\/p>\n

The Top Five Difficulties<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Whether they have kindergarteners or high school seniors, parents are sharing many of the same pains. Across the board, they are:<\/p>\n

1)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Keeping their children focused on schoolwork (instead of other online activities) \u2013 50.31%<\/p>\n

2)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Establishing a daily routine \u2013 49.26%<\/p>\n

3)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Balancing household responsibilities and teaching \u2013 41.83%<\/p>\n

4)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Establishing a wake-up and bedtime schedule \u2013 33.40%<\/p>\n

5)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Balancing working from home and teaching \u2013 33.31%<\/p>\n

Also making a strong showing were \u201chelp understanding the content to be taught,\u201d at 33.20% and \u201creducing anxiety and depression due to real-world concerns,\u201d at 31.58%.<\/p>\n

Top Difficulties by Grade Level<\/strong><\/h3>\n

There are nuances by grade level, however. Keeping children on task ranked first or second in all grade levels except<\/em> for kindergarten, third grade, and twelfth grade. Instead, these parents cited \u201cestablishing a daily routine\u201d as their top concern. For their number two concern, kindergarten and third grade students called out \u201cbalancing household responsibilities and teaching\u201d as an issue.<\/p>\n

Parents of twelfth graders were the only ones to list \u201creducing anxiety and depression due to real-world concerns\u201d as their second topmost care, at 43%. This is a broad category, yet it includes overall worry about COVID-19, sick family members and friends, or separation from classmates. This is particularly understandable\u2014senior year is one of milestones and leaps ahead in life, all of which have been upended by the need to stay home.<\/p>\n

What Devices are Kids Using<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Most parents in our survey said that their kids are using a device that\u2019s already in the home. Some children may have their own device, or it may be a device that the family shares (which can introduce pressures of its own). A small percentage (15%) said their children use a device that was purchased specifically for home schooling purposes. Meanwhile, only about 33% of parents said that their child has a device provided by their school for free.<\/p>\n

And what are they working on? It appears to be a mix of devices.<\/p>\n