The Struggle of Online Schooling for My Son

What happened in the last few months was really shocking to all the people living here, especially for kids. There was little damage but more fear all around due to the war. All the schools and tourist places were closed for a while. For many children from classes KG1 to Grade 12, online classes were introduced as a temporary solution during school disruptions. But for children living through war or near active conflict zones, online learning was not just a shift in education — it became a survival routine shaped by fear, uncertainty, and constant interruption. Behind every “join class” button on the laptop was a child trying to learn while navigating the sounds of danger outside their window or balcony. I am sure every parent may have experienced the same as I did during the online classes phase that were going on during the war or any other critical circumstances. It was really a very tough time for me to make my son sit down with focus and concentration in online classes. Because we all know about kids, how they are energetic, always running around, especially boys, and he also has a small sister who keeps on disturbing him when he sits to study or do any other work. But still, my son tried to do his best.

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In this article, I will tell you what all I experienced during my son’s online classes, how I made him sit properly to concentrate, what tricks I used to make him focus, and how I managed to do it with fun for my son. The online classes went on for at least one month, and it severely impacted the academics of every student. But still, what I am proud of is that even in tough situations, all the schools tried their best to continue with the studies so that kids don’t get distracted and can complete their lessons on time. Because if you give long holidays to students, then they will definitely forget some of the portions taught in school, their syllabus will not be completed, and they will also feel bored at home as no one was going out due to the fear of missile attacks. Since this is 2026 and we are all in the digital world, everything has become easy to do online. Normally, we all know a war means destruction of the city, but we were lucky enough that nothing like this happened at all. There were huge sounds of bombs, but the government was trying to intercept every bomb coming towards us. So the damage was very minimal.

Learning in the middle of fear:-

For young children, especially those in early primary years, learning is deeply tied to safety, routine, and emotional stability. In a classroom, they are surrounded by teachers and friends in a structured environment that helps them feel secure. During war, even when lessons moved online, that sense of safety often disappeared. A child attending a virtual class might suddenly pause because of loud noises outside — distant explosions, sirens, or aircraft overhead. In those moments, the lesson no longer mattered. The focus shifted instantly from the screen to survival instincts. Many children would leave their devices mid-class, run to parents, or become too frightened to continue learning that day. But this was not the case with my son. He was strong and confident that nothing would happen to us. He took the war very lightly. Maybe because he really doesn’t know what a war means or what a missile is. He was really calm and enjoying his time. Whenever he heard a sound, he went to the balcony and looked at the sky, and if there was any aeroplane, helicopter, or military jet, he would become excited and tell me to look at it once.

When the school sent me a message that they were shifting to distance learning due to the war, I thought this was not serious, or they would take a one-hour class online every day. But what they did was truly awesome. They shifted the school classroom to a Zoom video call and took classes from 8 am to 12 pm every day. They also put in some extra effort and made some worksheets, presentations, and videos for the kids to make the learning easier. They also gave a few breaks in between the classes for kids to stretch, use the washroom, or eat their breakfast. But the problem was that I had to sit with my son for all those hours so that I could help him to understand the whole process of online learning. Because my son doesn’t know how to on zoom calls, how to mute or unmute the video call, how to turn on the camera, and how to raise his hand if he wanted to ask a question in the Zoom call. So, for a few days, I sat with him and showed him everything: how to do it. He is very eager to learn new things, and hence he learned this very quickly. The class teacher used to send me the Zoom link to join the class on my WhatsApp number exactly at 8 am. After opening the link, it was necessary to log in with your child’s name so that teachers understood which student was logged in to mark the attendance. Sometimes, I used to log in before 8 am if my son was ready, and sometimes a little late at 8.15 am. Since there was no school and no school bus to wake up early in the morning and get ready for school, my son used to sleep till 7.30 am. And sometimes, if he was not feeling well, he used to sleep till 8.30 too. At that time, I told the teacher that we would join after one hour as my son was not feeling well. So I used to log in at 9 am too in those days.

The invisible burden of distraction:-

Unlike adults, young children do not yet have the emotional tools to separate learning from fear. Their attention is easily disrupted by anything that feels threatening, exciting, interesting, or pleasant to their eyes. Just like this, my son also used to get distracted very often while attending an online class. He used to get distracted when we came into his room, when his sister was doing something in front of him, when he heard some sounds, when there was a phone ringing, when we were having our breakfast, and when I was talking to someone. He wants complete silence, and there should be no other movement in his room when he is studying. Or else he will get distracted and won’t focus in class. And he teahchers alsousuusally font notice this, as they are busy with lessons and trying to help every student in the class.

In an online classroom, teachers may see a frozen screen or a missing student, but they do not always see the reason behind it. The child may be sitting in a room that does not feel safe, listening for sounds that interrupt not just their education, but their sense of calm.

Even when classes continued regularly, learning was often fragmented. Concentration was broken not by lack of interest, but by the environment itself.

The emotional weight of isolation

One of the most overlooked struggles of online learning during conflict is emotional isolation.

School is not just about academics for young children — it is where they play, laugh, and feel connected. During online classes, especially in times of war, that social world shrinks to a screen.

Friendships become distant. Teachers feel less reachable. And children may silently carry fears that they cannot fully express.

Some children become quieter. Others become restless or anxious. Many struggle to explain what they are feeling because they do not yet have the language for trauma.

When home is no longer a separation from fear

In normal circumstances, home is where a child feels safest. But in conflict zones, home and fear can overlap.

This makes online learning uniquely challenging. Instead of leaving school stress behind, children remain in the same environment where fear exists. The boundaries between “school time” and “danger outside” become blurred.

As a result, learning is no longer just about education — it becomes an act of endurance.

The resilience of young minds

Despite these challenges, children showed remarkable resilience. Many continued attending classes even when conditions were difficult. Some adapted quickly to new routines. Others relied heavily on parents or caregivers for emotional support during lessons.

Teachers, too, played a vital role — offering reassurance, flexibility, and patience in ways that went far beyond academic teaching.

A generation shaped by unusual learning

The experience of online education during war will remain part of these children’s memories long after the conflict ends. It is a reminder that education does not exist in isolation from the world around it.

For many young learners, school became something they attended while holding fear in the background — a reality that no child should have to normalize.

And yet, within this difficult chapter, there is also a quiet truth: children continue to learn, adapt, and grow even in the most unstable conditions.

What they need most is not just access to education, but environments — whether physical or virtual — where they can feel safe enough to simply be children again.