Best Parenting Tips during Coronavirus (COVID19) Lockdown
Explain to the children in age-appropriate way about the pandemic.
Make the children understand the importance of adhering to the restriction of staying indoors.
Help the children adapt to the sudden change in lifestyle; by caring, nurturing and empowering them.
Always listen earnestly to what children want to tell you and clear their doubts. Positive communication will help to improve the self-confidence and problem solving skills of children.
Firm, consistent and empathetic approach will make the children self-reliant. Authoritative parenting style should be adopted so that children will listen, obey, trust and respect you. Always keep connected with children. Parents should find pleasure in spending time effectively with children.
Infants, toddlers and preschool children
These children need maximum parental attention. They also require constant supervision. Staying home is a rare chance to improve the parent child bonding.
One-on-one face to face interactions with infants and toddlers will significantly improve their language skills and social skills.
Toddlers can be given training to acquire the self help skills needed for daily living like eating, drinking, grooming, activities for personal hygiene and toileting.
Preschool children (3 to 5 years) can be involved in simple household chores. Supervise and encourage them during the activities. Give praise and rewards for all the good behaviors. Tell stories, show picture-books and involve in indoor age appropriate play activities with small children.
School-age children (6 to 12 years)
Each child is unique. Identify your child’s talents which can be promoted in the home environment. Make flexible, but consistent routines for everyday activities. Sit with the kids and plan everyday creatively. Keep the children happy and entertained.
Drawing, painting, art works, singing, dancing, writing poems, essays and stories as well as using musical instruments are some of the talents which can be improved while staying indoors.
Reading good books, solving educational puzzles and playing educational games and indoor board games can be encouraged.
Keep healthy limits on screen time.
School-age children can do various household chores like cleaning their rooms, making the bed, helping mother in cooking and gardening.
About one hour of indoor physical activities should be included in daily routine and parents can do exercises with the kids.
Teach the children healthy eating habits.
If the child has learning difficulties, this is the best time during which parents can help them to improve their academic skills.
Some schools have started online study sessions and children should be encouraged to do the academic activities in the best way.
Give guidance to children to have regular meal time, leisure time, study time and bedtime.
Teach discipline in such a way that self esteem of the child improves and good parent-child relationship is always maintained.