Expert Admissions co-hosted a webinar entitled, “Success & Peaceful Coexistence During Covid: Strategies for Parents & Students.” The webinar provided tips for families of high school students embarking on the college application process as well as advice for families with college students and younger students living and learning at home.
Here are some of our favorite tips for coexisting together for the foreseeable future:
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- Try not to take the pandemic personally. Say: “This is happening.” Not: “This is happening to me.” We can’t personalize the virus too much. Don’t fight it. This is our new normal for the time-being.
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- Happy coexistence at home relies on parents setting the right tone. We need to teach our children how to deal with suffering. Life is both joy and sorrow.
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- We can’t squash childrens’ need for autonomy. As parents, we can’t say: “This is my house” because now, unexpectedly, it’s also your child’s house– for both college kids living and learning at home and younger children learning remotely. We can’t allow older students to complain about their parents all the time, either. None of this was planned or asked for by either side.
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- It’s OK to set some expectations in the house, but remember that tone is important.
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- Kids should work at an uncluttered desk in a quiet space. Not in the living room with people and pets around. If they don’t have this space, try to create one for them.
Most importantly, remember that we all need to constantly readjust and pivot. Flexibility is key during this challenging time. We also have an opportunity to make this a moment of growth for all of us.
For support on how to reduce stress around the admissions process, essay writing, or testing advice, read the first blog post from this series or reach out to Expert Admissions for more information.
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