Explaining the "Coronavirus" to your children
"I am missing grandad...Why can't we go to the playground?... I want to go to school, see my friends...Are we going to get sick if we go outside?" ...
Keep Calm And Carry On!
It's normal to complain, being confused! Like us, our children need to know what is the situation, and we have the duty not to lie. They can already feel our anxiety, that's a fact, and they might be frightened later when they will understand on their own.
First, ask your children what they know and what they understand.
Get the general information and simplify them for your children to make them less anxious. You know your children best, so make sure about the quantity and if you will be able to answer their questions calmly.
Once you are sure they understand the situation, reassuring them. That you understand this can be scary and it is okay. But we are taking all the precautions to stay healthy and if we get sick, we will do everything we know to feel better again. We, parents, have some medical knowledge and our doctors and nurses are working hard.
Staying at home is "the safest way, the more careful to care and save people."
People look scary outside.
When going shopping, your children are seeing people wearing masks, gloves and sometimes plastic bags. Why?
While you are playing, or having a bath, explain to them how important it is to wash our hands more than usual.
It is a great occasion to remind them about the basics. How to wash hands thoroughly and often. That we should cough and sneeze into our elbow and try to make it fun!
You can sing a song or make bubbles while scrubbing hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
Returning to class is one of the most recurrent questions. Even though we cannot go back to school now, we can still learn together. We will try our best to stay up to date to the school program so it will be comfortable when they go back.
If we are all at home, let's all play together!
Many people do not have the choice but to work from home right now or had their hours cut.
"I have to stay home with you to make sure we're healthy, but that you still have to work.
There is a time to play and a time to work. Exactly like you at school."
Until the age of 10, children do not have a well-structured notion of time. So, tell them you will be available at break time and play with them. Set a timer or teach them how to read the time, so they can see how long they have to wait.
School at home is the most challenging task for our families. You can structure an approximative school week. Set them a timetable with start and end time with breaks. Show them rules are the same at school and home.
- Teachers are suggesting to choose a book or create an eBook account. They could read aloud as an activity OR listen to an audiobook.
- Converse with them around the table during a diner. Talk about what they read, ask questions, what are they think about it.
This time of self-isolation could be a great time do be bored and build new desires. Learning new skills and create bonds.
- Writing a summary could be the next English/writing skill and develop their memory.
If you can set your working hours, you could work a few hours in the morning, a bit in the afternoon and then in the evening. You can, of course, wake up a little later like if it is the weekend but stick your usual routine.
Activities at home
Ask yourselves some questions. What can we do with a single egg?
- Cooking, make a shampoo, painting...
An empty bottle can be a new shaker, a feeding box for the birds...
- Have a
party with disco lights and some music. Be crazy yourself, dance, jump with them.
- Cook with them, be creative, have a picnic at home.
Practice your ballet dance class with some classic music to discover.
Sharing the laptop to FaceTime, Zoom with your tutor...Involve them in daily activities at home together!
Ask them to help you to clean the house, check what they wish to keep, and make a list of games they want to have for later. Let's relax together, deep breathing, massage, OR meditation. As well as being great ways of calming the mind and relieving stress, they are all activities children can get involved in too.
Have some fun seriously and let's seriously have some fun!
Socialise online. Let's call our friends, our grandparents. It makes you feel less isolated and help you cope. Calling the teachers is essential to keep the link, and your children will feel proud to show them what they've done by themselves.
And guess what?...
Being alone and being bored is essential in our lives but almost vital these days. Your brain has to think about a way to fill this emptiness. It solicits the imagination and creativity in all of us.
Don't be too hard on yourself. Some days will be worse than others!
Some days you might feel anxious and think about the worse and some other days you wish to be productive, learning a new skill.
But don't worry about spending a full day watching movies, being on social media.
Having a baby during the coronavirus pandemic.
The virus shouldn't change new parents' choices about their plans.
There are uncertainties around coronavirus, about social distancing, what could happen to future mums and babies. However, some hospitals have installed some restrictions, such as no family members during delivery. Others might ask you all for a blood test as prevention and wear masks while breastfeeding.
Thank you, Technology!
Let's all be honest, our kids are going to be getting more screen time. In front of a Netflix cartoon or an iPad game. As long as you set a time setting and explain to your children there is a time for everything...YouTubeKids is a good application. It's safe, without ads and with a set timer, you will find your favorite cartoons and DIY videos. You will be amazed by all the great apps that are very educational and funny out there.