Family lives have changed rapidly as parents and guardians have come to terms with the challenges of parenting during the Covid-19 Lock-down period. During this difficult time parents have had to adapt to living, working and educating their children from home. We are currently in Level 4 of the lock-down phase and parents, learners and teachers are uncertain of what the future is holding. Learners of Southdowns College receive online teaching and learning. We say thank you to parents for your assistance with helping your children to be online when they need to be. Here are some tips for parents during lock-down: Keep a daily routine (Schedule) It is important to keep a daily routine as if still in school and explain the rules to the children. In this way parents are helping their children to maintain some normality. It is important for parents to encourage their children to be productive. Make sure to start each day with a good breakfast and know what the day ahead involves. Children need to understand that this is not a vacation. Extra-mural activities During this time SDC provides online extra-mural activities such as chess, dance, music and a dedicated sport program tailored to the sport specialties. The goal of extra-mural activities is to give better fitness to learners and teach a sense of sportsmanship, leadership and team spirit. Dedicated work environment or space Try to create a clear workspace away from all distractions that learners are able to use during school hours. In this way parents are able to encourage their children to focus on their school work and not be distracted by the comforts of being in their own home. Ideally, this area should be a quiet area, not to comfortable and central to a point in the house where your child is able to ask for advice when needed. Take regular breaks Regular breaks are important as the rest of these tips. It creates a balance of work and relaxation. Keep to the daily routine and add time for a lunch break. This will help learners to maintain motivation. Offline stimulation Offline activities can be fun but still educational for learners, keeping their brains stimulated. It includes activities such as Sudoku and paper-based games. Life skills Engage children in doing chores like emptying the bin, sweeping the floors helping with food preparation. This enables quality time that focuses on life skills. Chores are the glue that keeps families together. It builds confidence and independence. Teach your child values in order to grow and develop. They help us to create the future we want to experience. Parenting is made harder by uncertainty, stress and economic stress. Comfort your child during this uneasy time. Talk to your children to make sure that they are coping. If they are struggling to cope, please get in contact with me and we can arrange a check-in session. At this stage there is no guarantee on when our learners are going back to school but the SDC team is here to help and assist parents and learners through this difficult time. Please watch the video on parenting tips: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VjCFAd8Ju8&list=WL&index=23&t=0s