Confinement during periods of community concern can add significant stress to family life. With children out of school and parents adjusting to new realities like remote work, maintaining a healthy home environment is challenging. These five tips can help make parenting easier by reducing stress for everyone.
1. Redefine a Sense of Purpose
Parents should not set out to perfectly replicate their children's school experience. Homeschooling is a different dynamic. The goal should be to make their time at home creative and engaging by following their interests and leaning on your own strong points.
Without a firm end date for a return to normal, work with them to fill their time with attractive and distracting activities. You can stream movies or TV series, but select them for their potential learning value.
2. Establish a Routine
School and work provide routines that children unconsciously seek, even as they desire independence. A predictable schedule is comforting. Parents can capitalize on this by posting a schedule of studies, media time, and rewards.
For the best results, include children in the process of creating and posting the routine. This gives them a sense of ownership and makes them more likely to adhere to the schedule.
3. Curate Your Media
A daily routine should be built around learning, but learning involves more than textbooks. Variety is as important as structure. If you have basic technology access, you can weave several learning methodologies into your day.
Educational Resources
- Online School Resources: Your local school system may provide online learning portals.
- Public Libraries: Most libraries offer a variety of digital reading resources.
- Homeschooling Platforms: Numerous online resources exist to support home learning, including:
- Khan Academy: Brief, pointed lessons on many topics.
- Clickschooling.com: Structured curricula and virtual field trips.
- Readingeggs.com: Reading lessons for younger children.
- Academicearth.org: Advanced lectures for high school students.
Manage Screen Time
It is important to limit and curate general-purpose video platforms like YouTube. You can create folders of approved videos that are valuable and educational, but be aware that the platform also contains content that is not age-appropriate. Google for Education also offers tools, though they may require more investment to set up.
4. De-stress for Parents
Parents have needs, too. Whether you are working remotely, a non-working parent, or have lost your job, homebound children will disrupt your routine.
- Remote Workers: Staying productive is a challenge. Use the time when children are sleeping to connect with colleagues and plan your day. Many remote jobs allow for flexible hours.
- Job Loss: The stress of paying bills is acute. It is a parental duty to help children understand that the situation is not their fault, as they tend to internalize parents' moods.
- Mental Health: If you suffer from anxiety or depression, these conditions may deepen. Use telehealth options to confer with doctors and get the support you need.
5. Open Up the Conversation
Children are perceptive and live "felt" lives, meaning they are quick to draw conclusions from the emotional atmosphere around them. It is to everyone's advantage to be open, honest, and clear about what is happening.
- Use terms they can understand, draw pictures, and do not overstate the fear.
- Turn off the constant news feed. Consider making a 10-minute news segment part of the daily curriculum, tying it to geography, biology, or health lessons.
Lead with Calm
Ultimately, you must provide what a leader should: a sense of consistent calm. This doesn't mean avoiding serious subjects or burying concerns. It means establishing an emotional center for yourself and communicating it through consistent, reassuring behavior.