Parenting hacks to help you through the coronavirus lockdown

Raising children is the craziest maze parents go through. As a parent you need all the help, counsel and hacks out there to get you through the upbringing period. Thank goodness for schools, parents do not have to take all the heat as teachers spend most time with the children. But since the outbreak of coronavirus, children, and parents alike, have been forced to stay indoors to ensure their safety in line with the social distancing regulations.

Schools closing indefinitely might actually be a blessing in disguise. This is a good opportunity for parents and their children to bond in a flexible environment. One on one time with children makes them feel loved and important and parents can readily take advantage of this moment to make their children feel appreciated and to reassure them of their affection.

It’s a no brainer that every parent has their own way of raising children, they might all be different but the needs of children are more or less the same. Here are three pointers that can help you hack parenting during this long quarantine period:

A schedule/Timetable

Since you are in the house all day and night, you may need a plan of how to do all that needs to be done before retreating to bed at the end of the day. In the plan, you can lay out all the activities you want the kids to partake in from when they wake up in the morning to when they fall asleep at night.

After writing up a daily timetable of activities you want to do with your children, the key is to stick to the plan. This way, you will be able to maintain order in the house and at the same time develop virtues in your kids.

Actively spending time together

Now that everybody is not leaving the house, this is the best time to spend time together. Being directly involved with your children makes them feel secure around you. By spending time with them and doing activities together, you also get to know your children better. You can organize hide and seek games around the house (or compound), have karaokes, play board games or settle down on couch and watch some good family programmes.

While screen time is equally helpful and can come in handy when you need to recharge and have some work done, it should not be a scapegoat to avoid spending time with your children.

Healthy discussions around coronavirus

As a parent, you need to help your children understand why they are not in school and why you are not at work. Since this is an abnormal shift in their usual routine, children are likely to feel confused and by explaining to them what is going on, you help them find a balance with the change.

In a document on how to talk to children about the COVID-19 disease, UNICEF says “children have a right to truthful information about what’s going on in the world, but adults also have a responsibility to keep them safe from distress.“ Be sensitive about it.