Not all parents agree on the upsides and downsides of remote learning for kids. And your opinion may depend on whether you’re a mom or a dad, how old your kids are and how much online learning your kids do
For some, it’s been a positive experience: 38% of adults with children under 18 who participated in at least some virtual learning since last March told a Bankrate.com survey that the situation had a positive impact on their overall money situation. Just 18% said it’s had a negative impact.
Additionally, 23% of mothers said remote learning had a negative impact on family finances — just 13% of fathers said the same.
We’ve heard a lot about the downsides of remote learning, but 43% of parents of remote learners said the experience has had a positive effect on their children’s education compared with 33% who said it had a negative effect.
Parents of fully remote students and younger children had a more upbeat outlook than parents of hybrid learners and older kids, with 47% saying it was positive and 14% saying it was negative.
“I thought a lot more parents would be itching to get their kids back into the classroom full-time,” said Ted Rossman, senior industry analyst at Bankrate.com.
“It’s hard to say whether parents really liked remote learning or if they merely felt it was the best option during a difficult situation.”
And while some families saved on school supplies and clothes, there were categories that saw more spending.
Half of parents said they spent more on items like computers, tablets and software. And almost one-third of parents said they spent more on items like desks and chairs.
Colin Exelby, a CFP and financial blogger whose children switched to full-time virtual learning last fall, said many families had to adjust their homes to compensate for the remote learning switch.
“Last summer, IKEA was sold out of desks for children … and IKEA is not a small place,” Exelby said in the Bankrate report.
The survey of over 2,500 U.S. adults was conducted online by YouGov in February.
See the full results of the Bankrate survey online.
