How To Keep Your Children Active During COVID-19 Outbreak
COVID-19 Outbreak And How To Keep Your Children Active
As schools close and people start working from home to prevent the spread of COVID-19, parents everywhere are having a hard time keeping kids healthy and busy.
If you are concerned with how to guard and care for children during this crisis while balancing your job duties, you are in good (virtual) company. I know that as I write this from home with my two-year-old on my ends, we have a lot to solve.
Here are some tips from Child Mind Institute doctors to help calm fears, manage stress, and keep harmony.
Keep the same routines
All experts agree that building and following a regular plan is vital, even when you are at home. Kids should get up, eat, and go to bed during their regular hours. Regularity and structure keep calm in times of stress. Children, especially younger children or those who are anxious, benefit from understanding what will happen and when.
The program can imitate that of school or camp during the day, changing activities at reasonable periods and alternating periods of study and play.
It may be helpful to print a schedule and study it each morning as a family. Placing an alarm clock will help children know when activities are about to start or end. Having proper reminders will help avoid changes when the time comes to shift from one event to another.
2. Get creative with new activities and exercises
Do activities that help everyone get some exercise (without meeting with other children and without touching things that other children touch, such as playground games). Go for a family walk every day or ride a bike or practice yoga - these are great ways to let kids burn energy while making sure they are active. Adapt new projects into your system, such as solving puzzles or having a family game at night. For example, with my family, we are baking our favorite cookbook sweets together with my child as a sub-chef.
I have been asking parents to think about their favorite activities at summer camp or home. "They often generate lists of arts and crafts activities, science projects, pretend games, music activities, board games, home projects, etc."
3. Manage your anxiety
It is entirely understandable to be anxious right now (how could we not be?), but how we handle that anxiety has a vital influence on our children. Placing your concerns under control will help your entire family navigate this unpredictable situation as much as possible.
"Be careful of catastrophic thinking," says Mark Reinecke, Ph.D., clinical psychologist at the Child Mind Institute. For example, thinking that every cough is a sign that you are infected or reading news that focuses on worst-case conditions. "Have a sense of attitude, engage in solution-focused thought, and balance this with assured approval."
For those moments, when you feel anxious, try to avoid talking about your affairs in front of the children. If you feel confused, go away and take a break. You could take a bath or go to another room and breathe deeply.
Limit news consumption
Staying informed is essential, but it is an excellent suggestion to limit the amount of news and information on social media that you read, listen to, or watch. They have the potential to feed you and your children's anxiety. Switch off the TV and mute or stop following friends or coworkers who are prone to sharing posts that cause fear. Take a rest from social media or be sure to follow accounts that share content that diverts you from the crisis, whether it's about nature, art, baking, or crafts.
4. Stay in virtual communication
Keep your support network secure, even when you can only call or text friends and family. Socialization plays an essential role in improving mood and keeping you connected. And the same is real, and it works for your children.
Allow children to use social media (within reason) and Skype or FaceTime to stay connected with their friends and peers, even if they are commonly not allowed. The connection can help children feel less alone and reduce some of the burdens of being away from their friends.
Technology can also help younger children feel closer to family or friends who can't see right now. My parents' video chats with their grandchildren every night and reads them a (digital) story before bed. It is not perfect, but it helps us all feel closer and less stressed.
5. Make plans
When we encounter scary events that are largely beyond our control, it is vital to be proactive about what we can control. Making plans helps you envision the coming future. How can your children communicate virtually with their friends? What exercise can your family do indoors that would be fun outside? What are the favorite foods you can cook during this time? Make lists to which children can add thoughts. Seeing your problem solved in reply to this crisis can be educational and reassuring for children.
Even better, distribute tasks to children that help them feel part of the program, and that adds meaningfully to the family.
6. Show a positive attitude
Although grown-ups are anxious, for most children, the words "School is closed" are the reason for celebration. "My son was excited when he found out that the school would close," says Rachel Busman, PsyD, a clinical psychologist at Child Mind Institute. He says, parents should confirm that feeling of excitement and use it as a springboard to help children stay relaxed and comfortable.
Tell them you're glad to see they're excited, but make sure they realize that while it may feel like a holiday you've had in the past, things will be different this time. For example, Dr. Busman suggests: "It is great to have everyone at home together. We will have a good time! However, remember that we will continue to work and keep a regular schedule."
7. Keep kids informed, but simply
"Talking to children clearly and reasonably about what is happening is the best way to help them understand," says Dr. Busman. "But remember that children don't need to know everything." Unless children, respectively, ask, there is no reason to share information that may worry them.
For example, our two-year-old daughter, Tina, is used to seeing her grandparents frequently. Right now, we are maintaining our distance to make sure everyone is safe. When she inquires about them, we say: "We won't be seeing Grandma or Grandpa this week, but we'll see them soon!" We don't say, "We will stay away from grandma and grandpa because we could make them sick." More grown children can drive and expect more details, but you should also think about what kind of information you share with them.
8. Watch for younger children
Young children may be distracted by the reality of the situation. However, they may still feel anxious about changes in routine or understand the fact that the people around them are concerned and upset. Plan to regularly check in with younger children and allow them to process any concerns they may have.
The children who make more sense than usual or behave nervously may feel anxious. Choose a quiet, distraction-free time, gently ask them how they think, and be sure to respond to outbursts in a calm, steady, and comforting way.
9. Sometimes the path of least protection is the right path
Remember to be fair and kind to yourself. We all desire to be the best parents, but sometimes that best father is the one who says "go ahead" when a child asks for more time on the iPad. My two-year-old daughter is watching Elmo's World and possibly drawing on the wall as I write this. That squeaky red Muppet is the only reason I can write.
"We must forgive the image of perfection that we normally seek to as parents," says Dr. Anderson. "Your children may not have television or other screens on weekdays during the school year. But now that schools are canceled or online, we can give ourselves the license to relax these limits a bit. We can explain to our children that this is a unique situation and reset the boundaries once again when life returns to normal."
10. Believe and ask for help
If you have a companion at home, agree to exchange childcare. Primarily if one or both works from home and has younger children. That way, everyone has a break and some room to breathe.
Everyone who can participate should do so. Give children age-appropriate tasks. For example, teens could help take care of their younger siblings while both parents have to work. Most kids can set the table, help keep shared spaces clean, do dishes, or take out the trash. Even young children can learn to collect their toys. Working as a team will help your entire family stay busy and make sure that no one (mom) is overwhelmed.
"Be creative and flexible," says Dr. Busman, "and try not to be tough on yourself. You have to find a balance that works for your children. The goal should be to stay sane and stay safe. "