For almost a year now, the world has dealt with extreme shifts in the day-to-day lives of the people. For whatever reason, most of our minds assume we are speaking of adults. The people we seem to think of are those with established careers and routines that are disturbed by the pandemic. What we are NOT taking into consideration is…how this pandemic could be affecting children. Especially home-schooled children. Sure, it may look like an awesome advantage that they don’t have to attend school, they get to spend more time with family, etc. However, this is negatively impacting their developmental stages. What are some COVID-19 friendly suggestions to ensure that children are still able to respectfully BE children?
Let’s take a closer look.
If technology wasn’t taking over before 2020, it SURELY is now…in a positive way! There are so many ways to use technology for our benefit during the pandemic.
VIRTUAL PLAYDATES
Zoom and Facetime are an amazing way for children to be able to stay in contact with their friends and loved ones. While on Zoom or Facetime, there are many activities that can be organized in order to make it seem like an in-person playdate. Here are a few ideas to help make zoom and facetime fun:
- Scavenger Hunts of Household items
- Show and Tell
- Storytime/Reading
- Hosting a Watch Party
- Virtual Dance Party
- SO MANY MORE
AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES
Although students and parents are restricted to the indoors during office hours/school hours, there are activities that can be looked forward to after responsibilities have been completed for the day. Here are a few ideas of after school activities:
- Bike Rides
- Freeze Dances
- Walks & Hikes
- Throwing Ball
- Water Activities
- Chalk
- Painting
- SO MANY MORE!
RESPECTING FAMILY MEMBERS PRIVACY
The pandemic has allowed families to spend time together that they would have never been given prior to the pandemic. However, it is easily to overlook the fact that privacy is a huge part of mental health. There are ways in which alone time, even for young children can be beneficial. Here are a few ideas of how to respect privacy for all family members:
- Meditation
- Listening to relaxing music
- Quiet time
- Setting timelines
- Integrating breaks/play time to not have children burn out
Check out this article for a full list of suggestions for creating boundaries for families and children during COVID-19:
https://www.bankrate.com/insurance/homeowners-insurance/healthy-boundaries-covid-19/