"For the start of this school year, my family sat down and decided on one word we’re living by in 2022."

The word and new mantra we've decided on this year is “connection”.      

I love hearing Mia, Jessie and Holly share with us Outlouders on the word that's their 'north star' or theme for the coming year. It's a much more achievable way to reset, with that blank page of a year in front of you (instead of dreaded resolutions, that immediately makes us feel like we're set up to fail!)

So, my family sat down with me, and we set an intention for 2022 as our year of "connection".

Living in NSW in 2021, many aspects of last year felt particularly... disconnected. Stop-and-start restrictions, not being able to see family due to 5km boundaries, and border closures with family and friends in other states. I'm sure you know the drill.

And then, of course, was the mammoth 107-day lockdown, which subsequently saw us home learning for Term 3 and half of Term 4… it all felt very, very disconnected. 

So as much as “living with COVID” brings all sorts of other uncertainties, it also brings forth opportunity for “connection” in numerous avenues in our new normal.

Importantly for my primary school-aged children, although we may be expecting a “bumpy road” as we’ve been told, we have been assured that their education and being back at school for face-to-face learning is the priority. Which makes for excited kids, and incredibly grateful parents! 

Image: Supplied. 

As well as the inevitable very-much-needed bigger-sized school shoes, and replacement of missing school hats, we have been leaning into building the kids' good online habits on their multiple devices ahead of the school year.

So much of their learning through lockdown (and all other facets of their short lives so far) has been online. So while I can't always avoid the amount of screen time my kids have, I want them to have positive connection with technology nonetheless (and ease my mental load around it).

One of the silver linings of an extended remote learning period, was that it really enabled both my kids, six and nine years old, to develop their computer skills and pique their interest in positive learning experiences with technology. And definitely more quickly than they otherwise would have had the opportunity to do.

They suddenly have become coding legends building their own GIFs and cartoon sequences, have become maths whizs by playing interactive online maths games, and have been burying themselves in educational, creative video games. But with a family of four, and owners of two laptops and one tablet, it is becoming increasingly difficult to manage everyone’s needs.

Image: Supplied. 

There’s a lot to organise, and a great deal of decisions around technology. I've found that Optus have pulled together a handy range of recommended school-ready tablets, mobile phones, and data plans – developed with families in mind, and all in one place. So, whether they are at home, at school or on the go – they can discover, learn, create, and share.

Being responsible for young and impressionable minds, it’s important to me for the kids to be building healthy relationships and skill with technology (habits start young!) – particularly with connected learning being top of mind heading back to school in 2022.

I can’t be watching them every second they are on thier devices. No parent can. Growing up, we never had access to much more than the one family computer in the dining room! I think for most parents it can feel like a daunting prospect. I definitely relate.

But it’s an important part of their new world, we can’t shelter them from it, and it is only enriching their education, particularly the older they get. So, the best we can do is learn about how to keep them safe online and educate them about safety. 

It's a relief too that you get access to Optus' cyber education hub and a McAfee® Safe Family App subscription if you have the Optus Family Plan. A practical, easy resource for parents to maximise with school-aged kids and to give you peace of mind, knowing there's something you can lean on that (thankfully) has more answers in it about online safety than I personally do!

Image: Supplied. 

Then there is the Optus Digital Thumbprint, a series of free, curriculum-aligned workshops that gives young people the tools they need for positive, responsible, and authentic online experiences. With topics like cyber security, cyberbullying and respectful relationships, digital discernment, technology and balance, and online identity.

Another way we will be prioritising “connection” in our house, in keeping with our family's mantra this year, is utilising the technology we have, and making sure we keep up with regular video calls with interstate family and friends. 

Sure, we did it a lot in 2020 and 2021. But where those times had us feeling depleted and stressed, we're taking a key learning from that time that it shouldn't take us another (wave of the same) pandemic to have face-to-face calls with our loved ones near and far. 

We will be encouraging the kids and our family members to play interactive online virtual chess games that keep them interested and keep them chatting. 

My eldest is about to turn ten and is yearning for the independence of roaming down the street without us! So, reading over the best age-appropriate options for a smart watch for him has been a great comfort knowing he can have that freedom he so desperately craves, but still being able to connect with him when needed. 

Wherever this new school term (or next 11 months) steers us, my family and I are able to, at least, keep coming back to our intention for "connection" this year. And see how well we can foster it in more ways than one in 2022.

Optus really is the one-stop-shop solution, offering everything you need to get your family school ready. Explore their 'Back to School' offer, including great range of mobile phones, tablets and plans developed with families in mind.

Explore Optus Family Plan bundles and the McAfee®  Safe Family App here.

Feature Image: Supplied/Mamamia.

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