"Our kids are just as scared as we are." The principal's letter every parent needs to read.

As thousands of locked-down families grapple with the news that remote learning will continue beyond September, a Blacktown school principal’s letter of encouragement has gone viral.

The single-page letter, meant initially just for the school community, begins by acknowledging how many parents have created a jam-packed schedule filled with "hours of learning, science experiments and book reports." 

Instead, the principal recommends that these well-intended "minute-by-minute" schedules should be forgotten, in favour of a focus on compassion and mental health.

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"Our kids are just as scared as we are right now," the principal writes.

"Our kids can not only hear everything that is going on around them, but they feel our constant tension and anxiety. They have never experienced anything like this before."

The letter describes how many kids initially thought that lockdown would be some sort of extended summer holiday, but quickly realised that being stuck at home, unable to see their friends, was not what they imagined. 

Because of this, the principal says, many parents are witnessing an increase in behavioural issues with their kids.

"Whether it is anxiety or anger, or protest that they can’t do things normally – it will happen," the principal writes.

"You’ll see more meltdowns, tantrums and oppositional behaviour in the following weeks. This is normal and expected under these circumstances."

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Instead of worrying so much about academic progress in these tough times, the principal suggests that parents "tear up their perfect schedules" and prioritise a sense of fun and normality. 

"Play outside and go on walks. Bake cookies and paint pictures. Play board games and watch movies," the principal suggests.

And while some kids might not be keen to bake or play board games, the sentiment is clear: forget the focus on constant learning and consider doing something your child enjoys. Even if that is simply as the principal writes: "Snuggle under warm blankets and do nothing."

With so much concern around kids regressing thanks to missing months of school, the principal tells families not to panic.

"Every single kid is in this boat and they all will be okay. When we are back in the classroom, we will all course correct and meet them where they are. Teachers are experts at this!"

In a final piece of sage advice, the principal requests that parents consider their kids' mental wellbeing above all else.

"At the end of all this, your kids' mental health will be more important than their academic skills. 

"And how they felt during this time will stay with them long after the memory of what they did during those weeks is long gone."

How are you managing remote learning? Are your kids coping okay? Tell us in the comments below. 

For more on this topic:

• "The mental load is huge." What it’s really like to home school a five-year-old.
• "It’s asking the impossible": Why Dr Kerry Chant’s words about childcare broke me.
• "We feel that time is ticking." The immeasurable loss of new parents.
• "I feel utterly helpless." How parents of teens are really feeling right now.

Feature Image: Getty/Canva.

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