How to Support Today’s Modern Parent as an Educator

Today’s modern parent is facing more struggles than ever before. From raising children during a global pandemic to economic concerns and ongoing work stress, working parents need support from educators. Remote learning during the pandemic, caused some children to fall behind in the development of the social and emotional skills needed in order to be successful in school and life, leading them to require extra attention in the classroom.?

Long before the pandemic, Lightbridge Academy understood the working parent’s need for support and built its Circle of Care that represents the community approach to the care of our children. The Circle of Care represents how parents, staff, community, and owners come together as a family to ensure children feel safe, nurtured, and excited to learn and grow. Early childhood educators can support today’s modern parents by going beyond providing a high-quality education, by addressing students’ emotional concerns and well-being, collaborating with parents, and building a strong community.?

Providing Quality Education

First and foremost, the best way educators can support today’s working parents is by providing their children with a high-quality education. By providing children with a strong educational foundation, educators will help parents build on what their children are learning at school. Working parents are often incredibly busy and may have less time to work with their young children on learning key concepts,?so it's essential that they practice self-care, such as mindfulness and exercising, to be fully present when they are with their children and incorporate at-home learning when they're able.

Addressing Students’ Emotional Concerns and Wellbeing

Like today’s modern parents, children today are dealing with more issues and concerns than ever before. Many children, whether they mention it to their teachers or not, may be feeling the stress of issues at home or struggling with something at school. To support parents with their children, educators should:

• Check in with students regularly on how they’re feeling in an age-appropriate way?
• See if there are any ‘big’ emotions at play and identify how educators can help them process those feelings?
• Partner with parents to address those issues or concerns

Collaborating with Parents

In order for children to be successful in the classroom, they need support from their parents at home so collaboration with educators is key. Educators can involve parents in their children's learning based on how much time the working parent has to collaborate with the teacher. Collaboration starts with communication so educators at Lightbridge Academy work with working parents to ensure they stay up to date on their child’s education, utilizing a parent e-Communication app that shares photos, and videos and sends real-time communication making it easier to share in their child's day and reinforce the learning at home. Collaborating with parents can take many different forms such as regular updates on their children's progress to inviting parents to participate in classroom activities and events, such as field trips, science fairs, and holiday celebrations if they’re able to join from time to time.?

Building a Strong Community

At Lightbridge Academy, we’re built on a foundation of family values that shine through to illuminate the very best within each of us. Together, our children, parents, staff, community, and owners all come together as a family to contribute to and benefit from a trusted Circle of Care. New parents can often feel isolated and alone in their parenting journey. Our Circle of Care builds a community of parents and a support system that shares the journey. Events such as parent-teacher conferences and school events bring parents together to share their experiences, offer support to each other, and often create life-long friendships.

Today’s modern parent is facing many challenges and needs support from educators. Early childhood educators can support today’s modern parents by providing quality education, addressing students’ emotional concerns and well-being, collaborating with parents, and building a strong community.?Children need their school and home lives to be in sync to be successful, and parents and educators working together is the key to success for children in early childhood and beyond.