Louise Schoonwinkel, MD of Optimi Home, outlines some of the positive impacts on mental health in children who do home or online schooling.
According to the 2023 UNICEF South Africa U-Report poll released this World Mental Health Month, 60% of children and youth in South Africa felt they needed mental health support over the past year. Of this group, 63% actively sought help — those who didn’t say they didn’t know where to go. Only 36% have ever spoken to their caregivers about their mental health.
If you are the parent or guardian of a child or teenager, you might be experiencing these challenges first-hand. Sudden mood swings, trouble sleeping, unexplained weight loss or gain, social withdrawal, poor academic performance, and self-harming are all signs that your child might be struggling.
As parents, educators, and society at large seek to create safe and supportive spaces for our children, we must pay attention to their education and learning environment. This doesn’t exist in isolation, of course, and we still need to ensure that they have loving and nurturing homes, supportive mentors, and access to therapeutic interventions, if necessary. But their education shouldn’t be ignored.
In many instances, home and online learning spaces like those offered by Impaq can help children cope with their mental health challenges — here’s how.
Decreases stress, anxiety, and depression
There is a common misconception that shifting children from in-school to home or online learning environments is a stressful experience that makes children feel even more anxious. The reality, however, is often quite different. While the change may be disruptive at first, homeschooling often decreases children’s stress levels in the long term, according to the Global Student Network.
Away from many of the triggers that can cause children to feel anxious and unhappy — such as class bullies and the expectations and pressures of schools — home and remote learners often start to feel more relaxed and secure. Over time, this can help to build their confidence and even alleviate symptoms of depression.
Helps them feel in control of their time
Many parents worry that moving away from an established routine will be disruptive. But school schedules — the early starts and the long days — tend not to be in the best interests of children and teenagers. The Sleep Foundation says that teenagers need eight to 10 hours of sleep. As teenagers naturally start to stay up later, the hours they must keep for school and extracurricular activities can negatively affect their circadian rhythms.
In homeschooling and distance learning environments, you and your child can create a unique schedule that works for you. You might prioritise getting enough sleep, rushing less, working around the times of the day when your child is most alert and productive, and taking breaks when necessary rather than when the bell sounds. A flexible schedule also allows children to learn at their own pace without comparing themselves to others.
Allows them to invest in the physical activities they most enjoy
Both deliberately and unwittingly, schools often place enormous pressure on children to participate in particular sports. All too often, this is gendered, and boys, girls and non-binary children who go against the grain can find it difficult to play the sports they most enjoy. In worst-case scenarios, these learners can be bullied or excluded for their preferences.
Home environments offer greater freedom. More options are often available through external teams (which aren’t necessarily affiliated with schools) or activities at local community and recreational halls. Your child might also feel free to enjoy home-based activities not provided elsewhere, such as gardening and DIY projects. Finding physical activities your child loves benefits their emotional and mental well-being and makes them likely to commit to these activities long-term.
Helps them to feel more emotionally free
Without the watchful eyes of their peers and teachers, children often feel more comfortable being honest and vulnerable in one-on-one dynamics. This can help parents, guardians, or assisting teachers to be more aware of and sensitive to the issues that might be troubling the children under their care.
Mental health — and their specific experience of mental health — can even form part of their lesson plan. This can help children to be conscious of their internal battles and teach them valuable tools to communicate and address these thoughts and emotions.
Permits room for special needs
Out of necessity, teachers in brick-and-mortar schools tend to cater to the median abilities of their learners. This means that children who struggle to keep up with the pace of classroom environments or who need more time to understand a particular concept risk being left behind.
With homeschooling and online schooling, children are met where they are at. With homeschooling especially, there is scope to repeat lessons, if necessary, dive deeper into complex subjects, and move quickly through work sections they find easy. This can help to dispel any anxiety they might feel to blend in with other children and encourage them to be more vocal about their needs and interests. It can even be critical in helping children to develop a lifelong love for learning.
There is no cure-all solution for addressing mental health in children and teenagers. It requires deep attention and commitment from parents, guardians, teachers, and others. As we seek to address these issues and get all children the support they need, we must ensure that they learn in an environment that best suits their needs. With the immense benefits they afford, home and online learning should always be an option.