This time last year, we could never have imagined we’d be living through one of the century’s worst pandemics throughout 2020. For most of us, coronavirus has meant putting most of our plans on hold.
For childcare centre operators and parents, the pressures of COVID-19 have been extra taxing. Whether you are trying to support your children in class or at home, you’ve probably experienced plenty of stress already.
One of the most difficult parts about being a parent to children of any age during COVID-19 is the pressure to keep your children feeling positive during such a stressful and uncertain time.
No matter how young—or sheltered your kids may be—they are feeling the effects of the pandemic in some way. Something as simple as seeing adults walking around wearing masks can be pretty traumatizing.
If you’re a parent or work with children, it can be incredibly helpful to have different strategies at your disposal for keeping things light and positive for your kids.
There are probably a lot of new rules at the daycare or even at home. Instead of approaching new rules in a stern, serious manner, try turning them into a game. Not only will this approach help your kids mentally, it will encourage them to learn about staying safe.
For instance, if your child is meant to keep a 2m distance from other kids at school, come up with a fun poem or song to help your kids remember the distance.
Another great way to reinforce distancing is through modified versions of popular games. One new version of tag that’s emerged is noodle tag, which involves children using a pool noodle to tag players.
You can also turn to old classics like Simon Says to educate children about new rules and guidelines. The goal is to keep it fun and lighthearted so children want to take part in the activities.
Studies have shown that good hand washing can be incredibly helpful in stopping the spread of the virus. Most kids probably won’t enjoy washing their hands for 20 whole seconds—after all, attention spans tend to be pretty short for young kids!
Make hand washing more fun by using 20 second songs. You’ve probably heard that “Happy Birthday” is a good song to use. Other songs that work include:
As you may have deduced, lots of nursery rhymes clock in at around the 20 second mark, which is perfect for young kids!
Depending on how old your kids are, you may be able to make some masks with them. Kids love crafts, so why not turn something a little scary (like wearing a mask) into a fun craft.
If your kids are a little too young to make masks from scratch, you could simply decorate some plain pre-made masks with felt pens.
One of the most important rules for stopping the virus in its tracks is maintaining safe social distancing between people, especially when indoors. If you have kids, you probably know that they aren’t used to playing with each other from a distance. Encouraging kids to socially distance is probably one of the hardest things you could try to do.
Here are a few games that are social distancing-friendly:
By creating and playing some group games that centre around maintaining a 2m distance between people, you can start to reconfigure your kids’ habits.
Kids are far more likely to follow rules or guidelines if there is the promise of a reward at the end. A simple star system can work wonders. Or, for more impressive rule-following, you could try rewarding kids with treats, toys, or playtime.
In order to keep your kids feeling positive and happy, try to encourage open communication. If you never give kids the chance to voice their concerns, their emotions may become bottled up. Instead, set aside some time for kids to speak about how they’re feeling—getting negative feelings off your chest can help everyone!
You may notice that your child has started to show signs of anxiety due to the current COVID situation. Depending on your child’s age, it’s likely that they are relatively aware of what is going on and the seriousness of the pandemic.
It’s important that you are honest with children. Try to strike a balance between being truthful enough to give kids information, while withholding some of the more troublesome details. Obviously, avoid telling young children horrific tales you might have read in the news! Instead, explain the meaning of “pandemic” in a calm way and reassure them that the rules at home and at daycare or school will help to make things safe.
Child anxiety can often be missed. Look out for frequent:
These can all be signs that a child’s body has gone into flight or fight mode. If you notice any of these symptoms, try to reassure your child that they are safe and probably unlikely to be harmed by the virus. If the anxiety persists, speak to your doctor about ways that you can help children manage COVID-related anxiety.
Even if children do not exhibit external signs of anxiety, the current situation may be causing some internal panic.
Try to introduce a mindfulness meditation practice for kids into your at-home or school routine. This isn’t an easy task, but here are a few suggestions:
You may be wondering, is it really worth teaching mindfulness to toddlers? The answer is yes. Studies have shown that mindfulness can be particularly helpful for helping children deal with anxiety.
Here at Kinderpass, we understand how difficult it can be for parents and childcare professionals to help kids understand the pandemic and stay calm and positive throughout a lot of new routine changes.
But with the right mindset, you can still encourage your children to remain upbeat and positive. Remember to just stay calm and lead by example.
