It’s natural for anyone to have anxiety about new situations. Just consider how you feel when you have to go to a new workplace for the first time or undertake any activity that you’re not familiar with. Even if you’re relishing the opportunity there will be a part of you that is anxious about how it will all work out.
As parents we often overlook it, but children suffer from the same anxiety. It can manifest as separation anxiety when leaving them at a good-quality center such as this early learning Chatsworth. Or it can simply make them ‘play-up’.
The secret is to understand their anxiety and help them through it.
Why Kids Are Anxious About Virtual Learning
In a classroom it s relatively easy to keep your head down, absorb information, and avoid having to talk. You can even avoiding having to deal with the teacher directly.
But, when you start virtual learning you’ll feel exposed. After all, the teacher can look straight at you and it will feel like they can see everything they do. You can even feel like you’re the only person in the class.
Fortunately, you can help them overcome these issues and embrace the opportunities that virtual learning gives them.
Find A Calm Spot
Before the virtual learning starts you should develop a ‘calm zone’. This is an area full of happy thoughts where you can breathe slowly and deeply. You should encourage your child to create this spot and know that they can go there at any time.
Focusing on breathing and staying calm will help prevent your child from becoming anxious before they start their virtual learning.
Address The issue
Now that you and your child are calm, you can talk to them regarding the issue. In many cases the anxiety is due to what they perceive will happen instead of what will happen. You need to talk to them about the virtual learning process and the concerns they have. Simply talking to you and you listening can help your child to lose their anxiety.
Don’t forget that it’s important to validate their feelings. They need to know what they are feeling is normal and acceptable. The key is to learn how to push through the anxiety and realize the fears are unfounded. It’s a skill they’ll need to use throughout their life.
Remember, positivity is good but don’t go over the top, your child needs to know their anxiety is understandable and relatable. That will help them to over come it.
Plan The Event
If you know that your child will become anxious before a virtual learning session than you need to have a plan. That means knowing how to calm your child if necessary. It also means keeping their mind busy with other things right up to when the virtual learning lesson starts. This will help to keep their mind off the lesson and focused on other things that don’t make them anxious.
If you do this regularly you’ll find that they quickly lose their virtual learning anxiety and can learn a great deal through the process.
