As lockdown continues, it's very important to preserve your child’s good habits and not allow bad habits to develop. Neuroscientists estimate that it takes 27 days to create a new habit. If you have gone to the gym after January 1st and dropped off by February. You know what I am talking about. Good habits take a lot of time. Unfortunately, they take very little time to destroy (Frothingham, 2019).
As a responsible parent, you need to always be aware of the habits your children have. You also need to consciously help them design good habits. The Coronavirus pandemic is especially challenging because your child’s long standing habits are gone. However, you need to make sure that new habits are developed.
We, as educators, and you, as parents, must step up to the plate and ensure that our children continue to excel, and be the little geniuses they were born to be.
Some of you have asked to take a break or discontinue from the program. One of the reasons could be that your child may not get as much from an online class as compared to an in-person class.
This may be true. Just as face to face interactions without distractions are more meaningful than on online zoom meetings. But they are still better than none at all.
The biggest risk is loss of habits. It takes a long time to us for us to collectively develop good study habits. The teachers motivate, cajole, scold, upbraid, positively reinforce, and praise your child to make sure your child is on track.
As parents you have to do the same. Preserving your child’s study habits in these uncertain times is of utmost importance.
I will give you a personal example. I go for a yoga class every Saturday morning. It was hard in the beginning, but slowly my body became limber. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, my regular practice has stopped. Sitting in my house watching Netflix and eating all the time is not good for my body. When this pandemic finally ends, one of my first personal challenges will be motivating myself to go to yoga class. If I manage to go, one thing will be extremely clear: all the hard work I had put in this prior year will have, unquestionably, been lost.
You should not want that for your child. Preserve good study habits and keep them learning, even times of hardship. Remember, education is the gift that keeps on giving. No time spent learning is ever lost.
References
Frothingham, S. (2019). How Long Does It Take for a New Behavior to Become Automatic?. [Web]. Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/health/how-long-does-it-take-to-form-a-habit#takeaway
