A guide to delegating during distance learning
Regardless of whether you work outside the home, are busy in your home office all day or plan to be close by if they need you, it’s a good idea to empower your children – in an age-appropriate way – to help themselves. You have enough to do!
Aim to be a delegator instead of a doer by allowing your children to fill these open positions:
1. Tech Support – “Mom, I can’t hear anything on Zoom.” Minimize their need to yell to you by preparing them with a few tech tips in advance. Show them what to do if they get disconnected, if their video disappears, or if the computer freezes.
2. Administrative Assistant. Urge them to track their own deadlines and appointments. This can be done in a handwritten planner, on a whiteboard above their workstation, or in an app on their phone. Wouldn’t it be great if it wasn’t your job to remember when an assignment is due and, depending on their age, nice for them to know when their dentist appointment is so they don’t schedule a study session at the same time?
3. Waiter – Encourage your children to have a bottle of water and a healthy snack by their desk. This way they’re less likely to call for you to get something for them on a moment’s notice and snack breaks don’t turn into hour-long procrastination sessions.
4. Timekeeper – Without those loud hallway bells, punctuality and time management might be a challenge. If your child is in synchronous learning, perhaps a visible clock and some pre-set alarm clock notifications would be helpful. For asynchronous learning, look into a Time Timer and learn more about the Pomodoro Technique to help your children manage their time efficiently.
5. Office Manager. Stock their work area with all the supplies they might need. Let them help you so they know where to find that package of graph paper…and where to put it back!
A few simple steps will empower your children to be organized and productive. As we raise these young people to become fully functioning adults, it’s nice for them to know they can count on themselves, even if they make some mistakes along the way.
Happy organizing and here’s to a productive day!