Across the nation, the pressure to achieve perfection is at an all-time high as parents work to fill the hole left by school closures amid the coronavirus pandemic. At-home learning seems like an obtuse, distant concept to many parents who fear their lack of training will set their child on a path for failure. But parents who feel this way should give themselves more credit. While the task of instruction has long been delegated to teachers, many are quick to forget parents are the most natural teachers of their kids.

From the first days of a child’s life, the parent is his or her primary educator. A lot of teaching happens outside the classroom, and some of the most important lessons are taught by parents at home.