The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are inevitable, and as human’s natural instinct, we are forced to adapt to the changes it brings. One is to adjust with the new normal way of living: working, parenting, and householding at the same time. And to guide you to becoming an expert in juggling all these, here are some ideas on how you can manage to be a working parent at home with your kids during this pandemic.
Make a good schedule and stick to it
A tailored-fit schedule will be your ultimate guide to surviving the day, so it should be the first thing you consider doing. And since you’re not only doing it for yourself, you have to be specific about it. If you have school-age or teenage kids, discuss it with them before both of your days start. It won’t only guarantee the accomplishment of everything that you need to do for that day, but it will also boost your productivity.
A good schedule also helps your kids establish a routine and manage their discipline. Since a lot of distractions are surrounding them while doing schoolwork at home, having a schedule as their reference will help them be reminded of their to-dos for the day and avoid conflict, resulting in a productive day.
Schedule time together with your kids
Just because you’re spending your entire day at home doesn’t mean that your kids get the parent-child quality time they need from you. Since you already have a schedule, you have to make sure to include having quality time with them in it.
Include them in your morning stretching routine, and prepare breakfast, lunch, and snacks with them. These are just a few of the things you can do together that won’t take much both of your time. You can also check on them after your shift at work and help them with their schoolwork. Just make sure to do something of their interest so that they can get willingly involved.
Give your kids time to socialize
The current situation may be depressing to us adults, but most especially to kids. We may notice it in the form of whining, tantrums, or acting out. One way to avoid this is by giving time for your kids to stay in touch with their friends and relatives online or in person. Just make sure that it’s done safely.
You can call your kids’ grandma to spend some time reading children’s short stories to them on FaceTime before going to bed. Or you can set the kids up with a watch-together movie night or trivia quiz on Messenger with their friends.
Talk to them about the situation
If you haven’t talked to your kids about the world’s current situation, there’s no better time to do so. Although they might have already heard of it from somewhere, it is still best that they hear about the situation from someone they trust and with whom they feel safe the most.
Make sure that you communicate with them the seriousness of the situation in a calm and informative way. Start by reassuring them that they are safe. You can tell them that COVID-19 makes a lot of people sick and that doctors and health experts are working hard to help these sick people stay healthy. It may also be helpful for them to know that only very few kids get infected by the virus.
Make sure to also tell them that not all that they see online about COVID-19 is true. Lead them to the most reliable sources for COVID-19 news and updates such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), State Departments of Health, World Health Organization (WHO), and National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Keep that positive mindset
Stay positive, have a solution-seeking mindset, and take advantage of this time being at home with your kids. Stay calm, talk to your kids, and reassure them from time to time that everything will go back to where it was. Make sure to connect with them and strengthen that bond.
Nobody knows when this pandemic will end, but there have been talks about vaccines already. Doctors and healthcare workers are striving to make sure that those who are sick don’t get sicker, and they’re so far successful. With all these progress so far, it’s not so hard to see the silver lining within all that is happening. Soon we may have to adjust again, but hopefully to getting back to how it had been before all these happened.
