Welcome 2021 with a Rededication to Remote Learning

We have finally said good-bye to 2020, but unfortunately we haven’t completely left it behind. Although the future's looking brighter with the beginning of the distribution of Covid vaccinations, we are still dealing with the Pandemic’s impact on our daily lives including remote learning. So let’s use the new year as an opportunity to re-energize and rededicate ourselves to making remote learning as successful as it can be by reviewing a few helpful tips to help you and your children get through the next few months.

• Get back into the routine:  No doubt, the holidays included stepping away from the routines you had established before winter break.  Since children thrive on routines and remote learning can tend to lead to unstructured time at home, it is especially important to get back on track with your schedule.  Don’t forget to include healthy rituals like early and consistent wake-up and bedtimes.
• Exercise and eat well:  Although the weather is getting colder, make sure your child has the opportunity for some type of exercise every day even if it means getting up to walk around the house or stretch between classes. Also, try to stick to normal mealtimes (with family when possible) and have plenty of healthy snacks and foods available.  This includes drinking lots of water, too!
• Reconnect with your child’s teacher:  January is a perfect time to reevaluate the academic goals you have for your child.  It may be helpful to reach out to your child’s teacher to review what areas your child needs to work on and the steps you need to take to help support them. 
• Take a screen break:  When you add the amount of time that children use technology for remote learning and the time they spend on devices during their free time, it's a lot of  screen time! Obviously, these are unusual times and often it's necessary to be a little more flexible with screen time limits, but it’s essential to take a break. Encourage your child to do something else for fun like play a board game, put a puzzle together, draw a picture or cook something in the kitchen.
• Don’t forget to read!:  Most parents know that children should be reading at least 30 minutes a day, but sometimes it’s one of the easiest things to let slide.  Recommit to getting your child to read everyday even if it's only before bedtime (which is a great time to reconnect with your child anyway).   

Even though January and New Year’s Resolutions are all about new beginnings, the reality is that we are still in the middle of some challenging times.   However, we can use the energy and optimism of the new year to rededicate ourselves to making the most out of remote learning until we reach a point where it is truly a part of the past.  Good luck and Happy New Year!

Any questions?  Please email us at Janice@Neighborhoodlit.com.  Taylor Burke is a teacher and Director of Communications at Neighborhood Lit. and works closely with Janice Migliazza, a Reading Specialist and owner of Neighborhood Lit, Route 34, Colts Neck to bring you this information.