Online schooling was once reserved for college-level students, but it is becoming increasingly common for school-aged children as well. Children with anxiety may thrive in online schooling because they can complete their education at home without the pressure of a classroom. With that in mind, web-based instruction isn’t ideal for everyone. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of online schooling for anxious children.
PRO: Learning In A Controlled Environment
Schools try to be as structured as possible, but it’s hard for a teacher to control 20 kids at once. A child with anxiety may be overwhelmed by the constant hustle and bustle of traditional classes. With online schooling, education happens at home. The student is in a highly controlled environment that is tailored to his or her needs. This is a form of personalized training that cannot be replicated in an actual classroom.
CON: Limited Social Interaction
A child who learns online will not have the same amount of exposure to social settings as a child in school. This may hurt the child later on when he or she has to get a job, form personal relationships, and live in the “real world.” Children learn social cues from their peers. They learn the difference between mean and nice, how to read body language, how to avoid confrontations, and what to do around different personality types. Online learning does not provide a place to do that.
A good way to get around this is to sign up with a homeschool group. The group does extracurricular activities much like a school would, but it consists of people who homeschool their children. Parents can support one another and talk about their online schooling experiences, and children get a chance to make friends with other people their age. Most cities have homeschooling groups, and you can find them on social media or through local schools.
PRO: Minimal Anxiety Triggers
Since the house is a controlled environment, your child will have a limited number of anxiety triggers to deal with. This reduces the frequency and severity of anxiety attacks and keeps the child calm as a whole. If you work with an anxiety therapist like one of the ones at Perspectives Of Troy Counseling Centers in Michigan, you can learn exactly how to set up your child’s environment to keep it anxiety-friendly.
CON: Minimal Anxiety Triggers (Again)
While it is nice to know that your child is not constantly feeling anxious, a lack of anxiety triggers isn’t always a good thing. The best way to learn how to deal with anxiety, depression, and other emotions is to face them in small doses. Your child’s anxiety counselor can help your child identify and overcome triggers as they arise. Without any exposure to those triggers though, that knowledge may never be put to the test.
Whether your child goes to school online or in a traditional classroom setting, he or she needs to have a definitive way to conquer feelings of anxiety. This is where anxiety counseling comes in. Your child will learn the exact tools and techniques necessary to handle various scenarios as they arise. We have several child anxiety specialists in our Michigan counseling centers who would be happy to work with your family.