New research has found that 57% of Canadian parents worry that pandemic-induced disruptions have caused their kids to fall behind in school. A study by Photomath, a global math learning app, delved into the current educational challenges facing parents and was conducted among members of the Angus Reid Forum. It indicated that the transition from classrooms to virtual learning was as hard on parents as it was on students. 60% of parents admitted they don’t always have the skills to teach their children the right way to approach math problems. A further 66% said when they try to help their kids at home, it becomes a frustrating experience for both them and their children.
“Many parents struggled to fill in the gaps as skill levels varied, so I’m sure many can relate to our finding that half of the parents surveyed – 49 percent – confessed to feeling intimidated by their child’s math homework,” says Jennifer Lee, Chief Growth Officer at Photomath.
Interestingly, findings from the study suggest that the challenges parents face today may connect back to their own time in the classroom. 43% of parents acknowledged that they struggled with math as a youngster, and 47% even label themselves as “not a math person” in adulthood, which can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
And that can lead to problems that go beyond report cards. Because math is often a subject that’s particularly difficult for some students, failure to comprehend the curriculum could give kids feelings of self-doubt. The study indicated that 64% of parents see their children battling anxiety when they struggle with subjects at school, and 45% say they’ve witnessed a direct impact on their children’s self-esteem.
Colleen McLean, Owner of Sound Youth Counselling in Parry Sound says that while the benefits of in-class attendance go far beyond reading, writing, and arithmetic, the return to the classroom can also be a stressor for young people. “Schools provide tremendous opportunities for growth and development. Schools also create an environment where peer comparisons are endless: who’s wearing certain clothing brands, has the latest iPhone, is surrounded by the coolest friends, is getting “good” grades” etcetera. With respect to the latter, parents and teachers play an important role in buffering the impact of grades on a young person’s self-esteem. By focusing on effort, rather than the result, we can celebrate a student’s perseverance, specific improvements, and work ethic. This helps to build their self-confidence so that their self-worth is found internally as opposed to through external comparisons!”
For more information on Sound, Youth Counselling go to soundyouthcounselling.ca 
