Home School How-To: What If My Child Misses Their Friends?

You may be one of the millions of parents who now find themselves playing the role of substitute teacher. So Newsy did some homework and asked the experts: What if my student really misses their classmates, teacher and other friendly faces in their lives?

“I miss my students like crazy right now, so this definitely resonates with me," said Michigan fourth grade teacher Kim Huls. "But I think just looking for those little areas of connection. So, for example, I know I've seen some students do, like, chalk drawings on their driveway to maybe their friends or their teacher just saying, ‘I miss you,’ or ‘I love you,’ and then writing maybe their names or something and sending a picture. That's a cool way to connect.” 

"I would advise parents to, under their supervision, that children are allowed to text and email or call teachers or their friends, or play these online games that are happening," said Diego Román, assistant professor at The University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Education. 

“Especially for kids who are learning the basic writing skills, writing a letter is a good tool to have in your toolbox and also allows your kid to practice writing, which a lot of kids just don't have as much practice with as they normally do in the classroom," said Jennifer Jessie, a tutor in Virginia.