It’s tough being a parent nowadays. Every parent wants to give their child the best, but may not know where to start, especially with advertisements everywhere all claiming to offer the number one parenting solution for parents.
In a digitally advanced age, it may also be difficult to sieve through the constant stream of information, especially when it comes to online resources. But parents should not shy away from technology, as it not only provides a wealth of options for their children to learn, but also a community for parents themselves to share experiences and advice with each other.
Online Learning
A vast ocean of knowledge exists online, and for children who have to spend weeks learning online during a pandemic, the internet can be a great help, especially to prevent less fortunate kids from falling behind.
In Singapore, schools have begun rolling out Home-Based Learning curriculums for children during COVID-19. And starting from 2021, all secondary and junior college students will have at least 2 days of Home-Based Learning every month. This can help students become increasingly independent and adaptable. Parents can thus take this time to understand and get used to their children’s online learning schedules.
Aside from government initiatives, parents can also find a variety of online platforms for their children to learn more outside the classroom. Platforms such as educational blogs, eLearning portals and YouTube videos can be used as tools for teaching and learning. Being acquainted with these online tools can help parents be more involved in their child’s education journey and more confident in how their children are accessing different kinds of knowledge online.
Online Parenting
For parents, there are also many parenting resources available online. From parenting forums to parenting newsletters, being able to take advantage of digital resources is a definite plus for parents.
Recently, The Straits Times has introduced a new platform, ST Smart Parenting, that aims to help educate parents about raising a child in Singapore. This platform aims to provide parents with focused and well-supported tips about parenting, with advice from experts in various fields. The site is regularly updated to give the most current parenting topics, and contains both articles and videos for parents to choose from. Parenting topics are also well organised into different education levels such as pre-school, primary school and secondary school, for easy access.
More information can be found here: https://www.straitstimes.com/smartparenting
Other useful platforms such as parenting apps and online parenting talks are also possible options. In short, help is always close by to any parent who needs it.
Digital Parenting
The future of parenting is to incorporate digital parenting. This doesn’t mean that technology will completely take over the role of a parent in raising a child, nor does it mean that parenting will become mired in a web of digital jargon and confusing trends. It simply means that with the new changes and advances we are seeing every day, we should take advantage of them so that we can give our children the best for their future.