The last two years have been unprecedented in a lot of ways, but one of the biggest impacts on parents has been the sudden need to provide a learning space for their children at home. Although things are moving back towards normality (or a version of it, at the very least) there is a looming risk of home learning returning – particularly as we move towards winter and with positive Covid tests still happening all over the country.
You can make your children’s home learning experience more engaging and less disruptive for your home life with some essential products – here are our top recommendations.
Have a dedicated space
This is possibly the toughest piece of advice to follow, as many households don’t have a spare room to convert into a classroom. But where possible, try to dedicate a space purely for schoolwork – it should be free from distractions (even a turned off television/games system can be a distraction as the temptation takes root). Build your space around the student(s), with a good, appropriately sized desk and ergonomically designed seating.
Protect your home
Your space will be used in new ways that it probably wasn’t designed for. One of the biggest issues parents are discovering is that flooring is taking a beating – students are moving around in chairs all day and the legs or wheels on the chair cause no end of issues. Whether you rent your home or you own it, you don’t want the expense of having to replace your flooring, so why not consider obtaining a chair mat?
These are essentially barriers between the chair legs/wheels and your carpet, linoleum, vinyl or hardwood flooring, and prevent everything from divots and friction issues to scratches and marking. They tend to be very cost-effective, and you can find chair mats that are transparent so you don’t ruin the look of your room.
Electronics
Laptops are the most common tool for home learning, but you don’t have to restrict yourself or your kids to the basics. Using an external keyboard and mouse can help with posture and ergonomics – you can use a laptop riser (or, let’s be honest, a box or a couple of books) to keep the monitor at the perfect height, and use the peripherals to interact with it. You can get externals that are suitable for most common tablet devices, as well.
Headphones are likely to be needed, as kids will often need to take part in video chats/classes. You may need to invest in a model designed for children (depending on the age of your student), as adult-sized headphones may slip off or be otherwise uncomfortable.
Take a break
Students who are used to face-to-face learning will not necessarily be accustomed to staring at the screen for sustained periods, and so you’ll need to encourage them to take a break from the screen where possible to prevent eye strain, headaches and other related health issues.
You can also use this time to encourage your child to do some basic stretches or move around a bit – staying seated in one position for long periods is bad for overall posture and can be the cause of musculoskeletal issues later in life. Get your children into good habits now and they will benefit throughout their lives.
Author Bio: First Mats started life as safety matting specialists, but have since expanded to become a complete industrial and commercial supplies company. The focus of First Mats is to provide safety-focused products that improve the wellbeing of staff through quality approved products, backed up by extensive knowledge. www.firstmats.co.uk
