Staying at home all the time can be tough on children, teenagers and parents alike. With children being constantly in front of the eyes of parents, parents are prone to be more critical of the children’s habits and children, in turn, more irritated with the parents. Here are a few ways to ease the pressure on both the child and the parent.
- Don’t over focus on schoolwork: With online classes and assignments, a lot of parents are getting more aggressively involved in their children’s classes than before. They are getting to know their children’s strong and weak points in academics more intimately than before and this is exactly what is creating a strife at home. Therefore rather than being critical of the child, and seeing this isolation period as a time to work on all the weak points of the child, see it as an opportunity to encourage child-led individualised learning that schools are not able to offer given the large number of children in each batch.
Ask the child what he/she feels she is lacking in and how she would want to work on it. Take her suggestions into account and make a timetable that works for both of you. Hold her hand from thereon and move on.
2. Give them a break: Plan days where the child gets a break from the routine and gets to do what she wants--for example encourage her to pick something she had mentioned previously but never got around to doing it..learning a musical instrument, learning to bake...etc. There are lots of online videos that you can show to your child to kickstart the movement.
3. Do not leave them out of house work: The days are going to be long and dull and it is important to keep children on their feet. The more they idle around, the more they will want to which you may not prefer. But if you can navigate them to be more on their feet--help you out in the kitchen, household chores, gardening--the more their body will be active and will want to continue being active.
4. Don’t go all prude on them: Children are bound to be more glued to the screen--it maybe their way to feel connected with the world; don’t take it away from them abruptly. If they break house rules and go to meet friends, do not punish them; instead explain to them the importance of social distancing but in a balanced and logical voice.
5. Keep a routine for them: With COVID here to stay for long term, it makes complete sense that children, and adults too, follow a routine--waking up, sleeping on time, meals on time..a little lag here and there is okay, but don’t go off the tangent completely. The body’s circadian rhythm needs to be maintained not only for mental well being but also physical health.
6.Update them on the world happenings: Tell them what is happening around in the world--the number of cases, recoveries, deaths everything so that their questions are answered and fear and concern alleviated. But focus more on the positive news than grim numbers. Also, talk about other things rather than just COVID--a great time to discuss any issues close to your heart--environment, politics...whatever interests both of you.