How Do I Support My Child or Teen During the Teacher’s Stike?

Kids and teens usually settle into the school year within the first couple of months, but for Alberta students, the teacher’s strike has unexpectedly disrupted that rhythm. While recognizing the time, energy, and advocacy it takes for teachers and school staff to bring about change, let’s explore ways you can support your children and teens while they’re away from the classroom.

Every family has different values and expectations for what kids should do during time off. Think of summer break—some families include at-home learning, while others focus on experiences, play, or social activities. There’s no right or wrong answer—parents know their child best and make decisions in their best interest.

Before we explore helpful strategies, let’s acknowledge the challenges this strike may have brought for parents. Even if some can work from home or adjust their schedules, caring for children and teens can be exhausting. The strike has created challenges such as sensory overload, increased mental and emotional demands, unpredictability, extra caregiving responsibilities, and financial strain. Parents, we see you!

Provide Emotional and Informational Support

Kids may feel confused, disappointed, angry, or worried about missing their friends and teachers. These emotions are natural responses to unexpected change. Allowing them to express their feelings helps them feel heard, especially since they have little control over the situation. It’s also important to explain clearly why they’re home from school, so they don’t fill in the blanks with assumptions.

Teens may initially enjoy time off: hanging out with friends, taking a break from structure, or relaxing with hobbies and movie marathons. However, some may also feel anxious about missing schoolwork or grades, especially those in grades 11 and 12. Creating space for them to talk about their thoughts and emotions can lead to validation, understanding, and better communication between parent and teen.

Structure and Routine

Children and teens need structure to feel secure. Imagine how chaotic society would be without rules or routines! Predictability helps them organize their time and manage uncertainty. Try to maintain similar wake-up, meal, and bedtime schedules to their regular school days.

Consistent limit-setting is also essential. It helps children and adolescents understand expectations, develop perspective-taking, communicate effectively, and support overall family harmony.

Balancing Activities

It’s normal for kids and teens to want to binge TV, movies, or video games, but balance is key. A mix of physical, social, mental, and emotional activities supports well-being. Play is vital for development of children and adolescents, but also beneficial for adults. Here are 5 types of play, with examples, you can incorporate at home:

1. Physical: sports, running, yoga, dancing

2. Constructive: art, building a fort, puzzles,

3. Creative/ imaginative: pretend play, storytelling, improv games, creating music

4. Social: cooperative or parallel play (yes- video games count)

5. Sensory: sand, finger painting, baking, outdoor scavenger hunt

While balancing activities is important, so is rest. Brains and bodies need downtime to recharge and process our experiences, so creating time for breaks are important.

Support Learning at Home

As mentioned above, each family has different beliefs in how much at-home learning “should” happen. Continuing education during the strike can help with the transition back to school, but balance and moderation matter. Referring to your child’s teacher or revisiting previous lessons and skills can guide at-home learning.

Ask What They Want (Within Reason)

Here, I want to focus on choice. While providing structure and expectations are a necessary part of parenting, including kids and teens in the process can be beneficial. Children and teens have limited opportunities for choice and autonomy compared to adults. It makes sense when they feel frustrated or angry with their circumstances. Offering simple choices for children, gives them a sense of control and builds independence. As for teenagers, withholding choice tends to increase difficulty, disagreements, and power differentials. Offering teens choice supports healthy development, decision- making, time- management, relational skills, and builds trust and appreciation. For example, telling your teen the garbage needs to be taken out, and they need to review math for 40 minutes before dinner gives them flexibility in when and how they complete the tasks.

Be Gentle with Yourself

Parents often say they give their kids “too much” screen time. Rather than focusing on solutions, consider capacity. Everyone’s tired, low on energy, and doing their best to make it through the day. Instead of criticizing yourself with thoughts like “I’m a bad parent” or “I should be doing better,” give yourself grace. No amount of self-blame will solve the screentime dilemma, but compassion and balance will go a long way.