Making the most of Covid-19 lockdown for parents and children, while balancing life and work.
Published on: 21/April/2020
How Parents can understand their children better during the global crisis
Listening and understanding your children in this stressful global crisis time.
STOP: When your kid starts communicating, try to stop all the work you are doing and pay attention.
LOOK: Observe them carefully; see if you find any changes in their non-verbal behaviour.
LISTEN: Listen carefully to the tone and words they are using.
Comprehensive responses to anxiety and stress.
During this pandemic phase stress, irritability and anger are very common emotions in everyone around.
Assist your children with the conversations, so they can express their stress in the right ways.
Comfort and console them by informing that they are not the cause of their irritation.
Regressions are normal at the time of excessive stress.
If the symptoms are getting severe and worrying you, then it's better to take the advice of a professional.
How this crisis experience is impacting the children of different age groups?
Pre-school children: For young school-goings, the way their parents react will influence their mind and put the amount of stress on them in this pandemic situation.
School-age children: School-age students get mature enough to do their things on their own. It is important to put them in a routine in this phase.
Adolescents: During this hardship period, teens become too weak or sometimes thoughtless. Parents need to lookout on their uneasy behavior and keep the communication going.
Steps that need to be taken by parents
Concerns regarding the impact of the COVID-19 are pervasive.
Abeyance your stress and anxiety for a while and try to discuss the issue with your children.
Try to fight with fears/ stress with your partner, or a professional or with another adult you find comfortable talking to.
Try not to over-watch news and also keep your children away from it, as the negativity will only give birth to anxiety, stress and fear.
How to handle your children’s fear?
Take their things seriously.
Ask their views about the COVID-19.
Make them recognize that it's a scary phase.
Acknowledge them about the invisible germs that can make us badly sick.
Older children can ask more question about the disease, and can also speak about the realities of Virus.
Adolescents can speak and understand it more accurately.
Make them understand what our Government, medical fighters and other safety fighters are doing to keep them safe.
Working & Learning from home amidst lockdown!
To keep students away from Corona virus, many schools are switching to online learning at home. Additionally, many parents are working from home. This process of social distancing is a must, to slow down the spread of this hazardous virus and also to keep the health situations under control. But most of the families are facing new challenges now. They are struggling between work and schooling at home life. How can you take care of both the things amidst this unprecedented outbreak? First of all, breathe deep! And understand you are not alone; everyone is in a similar condition and remember, together we can get through it.
Following daily routine can be challenging, but talking to children about staying at home and asking about the daily structure can be helpful. Let them participate in the game of creating a daily structure of schedule, and stick it on your refrigerator or somewhere you can easily see it. You can take these ideas into account when creating the daily timetable.
Wake up, take shower, dress to go nowhere and have a healthy breakfast like always.
Now locate the place for everyone where they can work productively.
Pragati Vidya Peeth provides videos between 11 AM to 1 PM on each alternate day to each class. Additionally, there are worksheets, assignments, and PDF of text books to browse through.
Also include some exercise and learning breaks in between to keep the body and brain healthy and fit.
Lunches should be full of nutrition; they must include all the veggies and pulses which are essential for the entire family health. Don't forget to add snack breaks in between.
Afternoon break after lunch is the most important thing.
When you all are together, don't forget to share the dinner table and discuss your day over dinner.
Spend time with your family in the evenings-reading, playing, exercising and watching your favorite series together.
Don't sleep late! Stick to the daily bedtime.
Last, and the most important thing, avoid watching the news all day to stay away from negativity going all around. It will only bring stress and anxiety and make you less productive. Instead, talk with each other and discuss some topics.
Recommendation on social distancing and staying at home might look inconvenient, but it is the best way to protect our families and friends. At Pragati Vidya Peeth, we stand by you in these times and ensure safe online learning sessions for students. Reach us at http://www.pragatividyapeeth.com/ for updates and more. Keep learning, stay home, stay safe!