Translated by: Hosna Kachooee
These days we are all experiencing a new way of lifestyle, one we are not used to. Everything we used to do have been affected by this pandemic, leaving us isolated in our homes. Even the way we leave and enter our home has been affected. The situation has also left us searching for ways we can keep our job and have an income when we have no choice but to stay home.
Experts advise us on ways we can cope with the situation at hand, we can also apply our personal experiences to make things easier for ourselves. So, In this article I will share some things my family and I learnt from constantly migrating to different countries, hence living an unpredictable life at home.
After 6 years of living in a certain country, we decided to have our children study at home via an online school, this allowed our children to study at home and allow us to have less complications when traveling or migrating again. There was no need for them to leave early in the morning and return at noon, now they just needed to move from a room to another. Although we were still unsure about how we should manage their time, social interactions, the quality of their education and many other questions we couldn’t answer; we had no choice but to keep them online due to us having to migrate again. Having to stay in hotels and apartments, my wife and I concluded that it is best for the kids to be home schooled.
It wasn’t much of a shock to my children either; they have seen their parents work from home through the internet. I remember a while ago, someone asked me “You’re always on that phone, what are you doing there?” and my 7 year old son answered,: “He works with his phone and does not play games with it!”. His response proved to others that the internet was more than just entertainment for our family; it was also a tool for work and a new way of living.
Some of my children were keen on studying, some weren’t. I thought to myself that the reaction I’m seeing right now, could’ve taken place at a public school as well. It amazed me how they have programmed online schools to be as close and effective to a public school.
As for social interaction, I signed up my children to different activities, like martial arts, art classes, swimming lessons, acting classes and other activities; allowing them to find friends and have a healthy mind and body. By doing so, I can ensure than my children get education, physical activity and the social interaction they need in order to have a stable life while being enrolled in an online school.
These days where we try hard to get used to the online classes and meetings, while also dealing with the fact that social interactions must not take place; we tend to get confused and at times, frustrated. So, I will break down the do’s and don’ts that you need to consider in this situation.
- Online education and occupations need a steady routine. Just like as it were before, you need to keep a proper routine and determination in order to get good results.
- There are no excuses when it comes to online commissions, since you know when you will get the commission and when you should give the product to your client. So make sure you have a proper schedule to manage your time perfectly without having to risk your job.
- Take care of your devices; be sure that your device is protected by installing the right software and antivirus apps. Avoid giving your devices to your children, as they might use it to play suspicious games and bring viruses to your device.
- Don’t fall for any links or ads, be certain about the site you trust, just as you would when allowing someone to enter your home.
- Download apps that have a good review and are recommended by trusted websites. Get to know other apps more; for every little task, an application has been designed, now that you have more time on your hand, do a little exploring.
In the current situation, we are all assigned to enroll in online classes and meetings. Usually taking place on a group call, it is important to behave in a way that won’t disturb the peace required for an online call. You don’t want to embarrass yourself or not be able to take notes or understand the topic. So, in order to have a successful call, keep these points in mind:
- Be there on time
- Choose the right device to join the appointment
- Wear the right clothing when present in meetings
- Allow your class to take place in a quiet environment, if you’re in a noisy room, it will disturb the other participants.
- Place your device on a stable position, you don’t want your camera shaking all the time as it will annoy others trying to listen to what you are saying or it might disturb the focus they have.
- Try sitting on a chair when you’re join a class, moving around too much disturbs the peace a class or meeting needs.
- With the host’s permission, record the sessions, so that you can look back at it and take notes, or if you know you won’t make it for the class, ask a participant to record it for you.
We don’t know when things will get back to normal, or when the virus will be completely taken care of. But a positive result of this pandemic is everyone realizing that they have wasted a lot of their time doing things they didn’t need to do. And that there are easier and convenient ways to do things compared to the ways we used to do. Many of us start asking ourselves questions we might’ve not thought about before;
- Why should there be a meeting for the smallest things?
- Why should I put my kids to school every day early in the morning?
- How can I get things done without having to physically go to the bank, store, office and other departments?
- Can’t I make a living from working at home without having to go the office every day?
It is clear that things will change after the epidemic, we will rethink our decisions, realize the importance of things and how we spent our time. But until then, we should stay home, develop ourselves and not interact with others in order to protect our families.
