Introduction
Ameera was a mother of two girls, Kavitha – 11 years and Neeta -9 yrs. They were both very active girls who loved participating in extracurricular activities in school. When the pandemic struck in March 2020, their lives changed. This is the story of Ameera and her hunt for an online course for her children.
At first, filled with enthusiasm with the new situation at home, Ameera planned the day filled with different activities for the girls. She made a chart and made a timetable for everyone to follow. She made sure her housework was done early so she could spend time with the girls. It was just the beginning of the pandemic and schools had not figured out online schooling yet. Companies had not yet figured out WFH.
After a month
Soon, Ameera began to lose her enthusiasm. She slipped into lazy home mode. Everyone watched TV late into the night and woke up late. Mealtimes became haywire and children began snacking more. Ameera and her husband Ajith started spending more time on social media. They were hooked onto Instagram reels and often would discuss ways in which they could make reels. But they never made them. The kids somehow spent more time watching TV and browsing through YouTube videos. They all were finding different ways to cope while being forced to stay indoors. They slowly slipped into individual internet bubbles.
After 3 months
After a few months, online schooling began. Ameera also began to work from home. She had to continue to balance work at home and work from the office. She couldn’t give the kids as much attention before. She was not able to check on them during online schooling. After the first term, she got feedback from the school that her kids’ attendance during online schooling was low. They weren’t responding and their cameras were always off. Ameera began to worry. She also noticed a few behavior changes in her kids. They seemed to be glued to their computers even when school was over. It was difficult to get them away from their screens. They couldn’t focus on studying. Their grades dropped slowly all through the year. Ameera was too occupied to find a solution. She herself was trying to cope without help at home. She still had to prove herself at work. The company was considering downsizing. Ameera was afraid she would lose her job. She did.
After a year
The first few days, she mopped around. Finally, her attention was drawn to the neighbors. She called her neighbor who was also a mom of two kids, a boy and a girl. During their conversation, Ameera learned that the lady had signed up her kids for online classes for various activities. They were enjoying the online classes and were engrossed in trying to upgrade their skills. She told Ameera that she had spent many days researching activities for kids and finally found suitable online courses for her kids based on their passion and interests. Her son was learning the piano and French online. While her daughter was doing coding and Bharatanatyam. The courses were really helping in skill development for children. Ameera was amazed. Why hadn’t she thought about it before?
The hunt
She now recalled that her husband Ajith had mentioned that his colleague had done the same thing. But she was too preoccupied to listen. So, she took all the details from her neighbor. The name of the schools, the courses, the syllabus and the duration. She did some research herself. She shortlisted some of them based on her kids' interests. Then she went through the list with her kids. Her elder daughter wanted to learn coding. Ameera was surprised that her daughter would show interest in coding. It was a new hobby. Her younger daughter wanted to learn to be a writer. So, Ameera chose a young author program where they even helped children publish their own books. Ameera was already excited. Her baby could be an author so soon. Suddenly, she was glad she got fired.
The online courses
They soon slipped into a new routine. The kids were so excited to be part of a new learning group where they could meet new children and a brand-new teacher. They were eager to start the day. They planned the day themselves and kept reminders to ensure they didn’t forget to log into their classes on time. They got busy with their online schooling and online courses. With their mind invigorated with learning something new, the kids seemed to have found their interest in school again. Ameera began to find more time on her hands. She became restless. She wanted to do something that would make a difference. Soon, she realized she wanted to help other children who were having a difficult time coping at home like her kids did. That night, she told her husband Ajith, she wanted to start a company that provides online opportunities to help kids learn new skills from home. Her husband was so excited with the idea, he decided to join her. Soon, they were a group of 5, with 3 of their college mates joining in. In one month's time Ameera was ready to launch her own company with a wide network of trained qualified teachers. She named it Class Apart.
Epilogue: A lot of mothers like Ameera, are finding it difficult to get their kids away from their screens. Many parents are opting for online courses for their kids. It is the safest option for now and it seems to be the only option to keep kids productively occupied. If you want to engage your child in a skill development program, then we at Learner Circle have a wide range of courses to offer for all kinds of children with varied interests. Our courses focus on early child development and cater to kids of all ages. We understand the teacher-student bonding is very important. Therefore, we have chosen our teachers with a lot of screening and various assessment methods. So, don’t forget to contact us if you are looking for an after-school program. At Learner Circle, you will be spoilt for choice.
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