Parenting - The New Challenge

Parenting has always been tough, but home schooling, working from home, and all the financial uncertainty surrounding COVID-19 has made it even tougher.

Stress faced by Parents during COVID-19.

"A picture is worth a thousand words"

This is the Picture - Now, isn't it true?

Again, Picture says more than words!

With many schools and workplaces closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, many of us have found ourselves dealing with a new, and often very stressful, family situation. As well as having to work from home and run the household, you’re likely also trying to keep your kids on track with their virtual school work. As a parent at this time, it’s easy to feel that you have so many roles to fulfil that you can’t possibly perform any of them well.

Helping Your Kids With Online Classes And Schoolwork.

The Coronavirus pandemic has thrown many of us into the role of a home school teacher. In addition to all your other responsibilities, you may be finding it difficult to keep your children on track or helping them with assignments, especially if they’re in different grades. Keep in mind that this is a stressful time for kids as well.

The Tools that will help parents to help their children.

1. Connect with your child’s teacher. Remember, they’re also getting through this by trial and error. If your child’s school is closed, be honest about what is working with home tutoring and what isn’t. Your child’s teacher has a good understanding of their academic strengths and weaknesses, so they may be able to help you come up with a more individualized learning plan.

2. Create a learning routine. A routine gives kids a sense of normalcy during an otherwise uncertain time. But you don’t have to go crazy with colour-coded schedules if that’s not your style. Just create a general outline that you think you can maintain on most days that still leaves room for flexibility and downtime. If possible, try to designate a workspace for each member of the family.

3. Set goals—and celebrate their completion. Since so much has been stripped from our everyday lives, having something to look forward to can help kids stay motivated. Setting up small rewards, like watching an episode of a favourite TV show, can help them tackle that unpleasant math assignment. Get the whole family in on it. If you all set a few goals and plan breaks together, your kids will see that you’re a team.

4. Get creative with lessons. Doing a science experiment, for example, or cooking with measurements, can be a good way of bringing lessons to life. And consider your child’s strengths. If they love to draw and write, now is a good time to set them free with pencils and paper.

Dealing with your child’s fears and stress.

After watching the news or overhearing an the adult conversation regarding the pandemic, young children might get scared. COVID-19 has changed their schooling, friendships, and normal routine, so it should be a top priority to address your child’s fears and reassure their physical and emotional well-being.

Talk at an age-appropriate level. If your child is young, don’t volunteer too much information, as this could cause their imagination to run wild. Instead, try to answer any questions they might have. It’s okay not to know everything; if your child is older, help them find accurate information from World Health Organisation (WHO).

Answer questions simply and honestly. If your child has questions about the pandemic, know that honesty is always the best policy. While you don’t want to frighten young children, there’s nothing wrong with talking about the need for taking safety precautions such as social distancing and washing their hands.

Be understanding. If you’re forced to quarantine as a family, your child will be disappointed at not being able to see friends or visit with other family members. Be receptive to this. Explain to them that you understand their disappointment, and you are missing out on friendships and special occasions as well.

Arrange virtual playdates. Offer an alternative to in-person playdates via the Internet. Set your children up on video conferencing services, like Skype or Zoom, so they can keep in contact with close friends and grandparents.

Give extra love and affection. This is a stressful time for all of us and we could all benefit from extra affection. Your child will appreciate extra hugs and kisses.

Designate special one-on-one time. If everyone is at home with each other all the time, having one on one time with each child is a great way to forge a closer bond. Have your child choose an activity for the two of you to participate in together.

Find things to be grateful about. Each evening, share with your child one fun or positive thing you experienced that day and encourage them to do the same. It could be a work or school accomplishment, a home repair, or something as simple as witnessing a beautiful sunset. It may sound corny, but acknowledging gratitude and positive experiences can provide a respite from negative thinking and really boost your family’s mood.

Keeping healthy routines

As the pandemic drags on, it can be easy to neglect your normal daily routines. But structure and consistency are important for kids. Maintaining regular mealtimes and bedtimes, for example, can help your child feel safe and secure.

Establish healthy new routines. As you readjust to a new normal, you may need to establish new daily schedules for your kids. Even if things like bedtimes have changed without school every day, try to be consistent and follow the same schedule each day. Make time for activities such as exercise, family dinners, and household chores as well as time for your child to socialize with friends, whether that’s done safely in person or online.

Follow safety advise. With different areas facing different restrictions, it’s important to follow the advice of trustworthy sources such as the CDC, WHO, and your local public health authorities. Playgrounds, schoolyards, and parks are all high-contact areas where your children should follow your instructions about keeping themselves and others safe. That may mean wearing a mask, maintaining social distancing, and regularly washing their hands.

Reinforce the importance of hygiene and handwashing. Hand washing might have been a boring, mundane task in 2019, but now it can be a life-saving measure. Get your child in to the routine of washing their hands every time they’ve been outside or come into contact with other people. To encourage the habit in young children, make up a song to the melody of one of your child’s favourites and sing it together while they wash their hands.

The importance of regular bedtimes

It’s normal for children to experience sleep problems during times of great stress. Some may have trouble falling asleep, others, especially very young children, maybe anxious about being separated from mom and dad. Maintaining a consistent bedtime and regular nightly routine can help address these problems.

·      Ensure your child goes to sleep and wakes up at the same time each day.

·    Establish a nightly bedtime routine, where the lights are dimmed and your child can unwind and relax.

·     Make sure all screens are turned off at least one hour before bedtime as the blue light from these devices can interfere with your child’s sleep-wake cycle. Try reading to your child or listening to an audiobook together, instead.

·   Offer extra physical affection in the form of hugs and kisses at night if your child needs reassurance.

·         After you have put your kids to bed, it’s important as a parent that you take the time at night to unwind and relax. Getting a good night’s sleep is just as important for you, as well.

Managing behaviour problems

Often, when children misbehave, it’s a reaction to the amount of stress they’re under and a way to vent their frustration. Try to keep this in mind when acting as a disciplinarian during these difficult times—and do your best to remain calm. Start by managing your own stress levels through exercise, a healthy lifestyle, making time for fun, and adopting a regular relaxation practice. The calmer and more relaxed you are, the better you’ll be able to handle your child’s reactions to stress.

These positive disciplinary tips can also help:

Redirect your child. If your child is misbehaving, redirect them to another activity, such as playing outside or reading a book. As a parent, you can sometimes tell when your younger child is beginning to get restless. Take the opportunity to distract them with an interesting task or a fun game and you can curtail bad behaviour before it starts.

Take a breath. There are plenty of ways to relieve stress at the moment when you feel like you are losing patience with your child. For example, take deep breaths and count to ten to allow yourself to calm down. Then you can respond to your child’s behaviour in a calmer and more positive manner.

Give your child a creative consequence. For a timely example, if your child goes outside without a mask, ask them to draw a picture of a child wearing a mask or a picture of your family with masks on. Creative consequences simultaneously engage your child while also teaching them that their behaviour was wrong.

Reward good behaviours, such as doing well on a school assignment, making their bed, taking out the trash, or getting along with their siblings. In normal circumstances, you might not reward this kind of behaviour, but during this stressful time, nothing positive should go unrecognized.

Never yell at or spank your child. Losing your temper in this way will only damage your relationship and impact your child’s sense of safety and security.

Sometimes, it may be best to do nothing. Ignoring bad behaviour can be an extremely effective tool when trying to get your child to stop doing something. When a young child is looking for attention, not giving it to them can make them realize that they should either stop or find a more respectful way of finding attention.

Spending extra time with your teen can help them to open up and confide in you. Try:

Cooking and eating together. Cooking one of your teen’s favourite meals with them offers an opportunity to talk about what’s going on in their life. Try to schedule dinners around the table with no distractions from phones, the TV, or other devices so you can talk as a family.

Gardening together. Gardening is a great way to keep a tight bond, as it’s a fairly docile activity that gives time to talk and strengthen a parent-child bond.

Playing sports or exercising together. Many teenagers love to engage themselves physically, whether it be time spent playing sports, working out in the gym, or going on a run. Try shooting hoops, kicking a soccer ball, throwing a Frisbee, or playing golf or tennis. When done together, it proves to be a great source of stress relief as well as an opportunity to bond.

It is always important and great to value them, as we don't know what their Tomorrow is!

To be continued......

Series II