While Illawarra parents may understand why the lockdown has been extended another four weeks, it doesn't mean they're happy about it.
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This week Wollongong and Shellharbour families are heading into their second month of juggling working from home with remote learning - and it's proving a tough gig.
"I understand why the government has done this but our kids will be behind as a result at the end of it from where they would have been otherwise, irrespective of how much effort we put in," Mount Ousley mother-of-one Louise Astorgano said.
"I don't work as a teacher for a reason, it is not my skillset."
Year 12 students doing their HSC are expected to return to face-to-face learning from August 16.
But primary school students will stay home for two weeks after that and are struggling from not being at school, according to many parents.
Even having a parent with a teaching background doesn't make the challenge any easier, just ask Albion Park tutor Emma Smith.
"I'm a qualified teacher but I think for parents who don't have that qualification, it is very tricky," she said.
"My heart goes out to everyone involved, especially kids. It is also a big challenge for parents.
"I think the biggest advice I'd give any parent is you do what you can do, and if you need any help, seek it from teachers, from anyone that you can.
"Just get through what you can get through, don't put the expectations too high."
Miss Smith said not attending Mount Terry Public School was hard on her 10-year-old daughter Olivia.
"It has also been difficult for our family," she said.
"Luckily we've had some help from my parents with babysitting, otherwise we would all be in the same house trying to do lots of different things, which I think would be a huge challenge.
"I run Always Education out of our Lake Illawarra premises but because of lockdown I'm working from our Albion Park home.
"At the moment I'm doing Zoom calls with kids while my daughter is doing online learning. It can be challenging at times."
The experience of being in lockdown last year and doing online learning for two months has helped Miss Smith this time around.
"Last year's experiences taught me to lower my expectations on workloads for both me and my daughter," she said. "Doing all that you can and not stressing at that that isn't done is important. You have to be very flexible and patient."
Her views were echoed by Mrs Astorgano, who admitted she was fortunate her daughter Amy's school Mount Ousley Public School was "quite forward with technology".
But despite Mrs Astorgano being head of technology for an auditing company, she said she was struggling to keep up with her daughter's online tasks.
"Despite my title, I often struggle to figure out what app the kids are supposed to be using and how all the different methods of communication with the school fit together. There is a lot of chopping and changing," she said.
"Stuff is posted in one place and you have to reply in another place, and you talk to the teacher in a different location versus doing a Zoom chat somewhere else. It is not easy."
But last year's experience has taught Mrs Astorgano not to get too stressed if Amy doesn't complete all her school work.
"The work that the school sets will only cover about three hours, so you have to give yourself and your kids a break, they are not going to be occupied doing the work for the whole seven-and-a-half hours that you're going to be at work," she said.
"My relationship with my child right now is more important than ensuring everything is finished."
Gym owner and mother-of-three Janne Mackey said her two school-aged children were struggling not seeing their friends every day.
"As a family and from last year's experience, we know how to cope with lockdown and home learning but I'm finding it is hitting the kids really hard this time around," Ms Mackey said.
"They feel it more than they did last year because last year they were in their own little bubble, this year they notice that they can't actually go anywhere, except for a walk or play at the park. But last year taught me that we can get through it because we have done it before and we can do it again."
Ms Mackey said she was opting to look at the positives of being in lockdown and home schooling.
"As long as you have a good plan I think there definitely are some positives. I'm looking forward to bonding more with my kids and hopefully helping them deal with being in lockdown.
"Obviously I don't want it to last too long but I'm happy to do my bit for the time being."
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