How-Tos For Childcare During The Pandemic

The second wave of the corona virus pandemic is wreacking havoc in our country right now. Childcare has become immensely difficult during this time. It has become a challenge for parents everywhere to keep their children healthy as well mentally and emotionally stable.

There are three highlighting concerns regarding childcare during this time period- safety, awareness and engagement.

- Safety of children against the rampant illness

- Awareness delivered to children regarding the measures and precautions they need to take in order to be safe as well as to be responsible members of society

- Healthy and happy ways of engaging children and to not let this time steal away the joy of their childhood

Let us expand on each one of these concerns, and look at some good and effective ways to take care of them:

Safety

Safety for kids is a primordial instinct and need. Due to their still developing immune systems, children are one of the most vulnerable groups being affected by the illness. Here`s how you can help them to stay as safe as possible.

1) Teach and Reinforce preventive measures everyday

Make your kids practice simple everyday preventive measures that will help the chances of them sailing through the pandemic safely. These include washing hands, wearing a mask, maintaining a safe 6 feet distance from people, and covering their mouth while sneezing or coughing. Kids learn best by observing the behaviours of their elders. Therefore constantly demonstrate these actions to the kids so that they willingly pick them up.

2) Regular health check ups

Take yourself and your children for regular covid testing and health check ups. An asymptomatic reaction to Covid is very common, therefore do not take a chance to wait for symptoms to show first. Every 2 weeks, or atleast every month, get a covid test done to remain on the safer side.

3) Healthy lifestyle choices

Exercising and eating healthy are great ways to maintain a healthy body, and thereby to boost our immunity. Going out has become quite restricted for everybody alike, but we can still find ways to keep ourselves physically active. By engaging your kids in fun activities such as mini family dance parties, treasure hunting inside the house, playing maze games in the driveway, you can also give them the necessary workout. Similarly, encourage intake of fruits and vegetables, and avoid junk foods inside the house. Eating healthy is great for a developing child irrespective of the health crisis.

Awareness

It is important to keep our kids informed about the crisis that the world is facing today, so that they understand the gravity of the situation, and feel encouraged and motivated to perform actions that can help to keep themselves and others safe.

1) Find out what they already know

You can ask them questions and find out what they already know about the covid crisis. Then using their existing knowledge as a base, you can give them the necessary additional information that you think might be helpful.

2) Be honest about the risks and how to mitigate them

The idea is not to scare the child, but to have an honest and open conversation with them. Often times we underestimate children`s capability to handle information. But having a straightforward approach and not hiding information from them helps build trust as well as allows the child to process as well as accept the right measures easily. For example, a child without sufficient knowledge might feel dejected when stopped from going to the park or meeting their friends. However, if the child understands the reasons for why they are being restricted, it might help them rationalize and accept the same scenario in a much more healthy way.

3) Listen to their grievances

When you have an open conversation with the child, they also feel encouraged to share their stresses and problems with you. They might tell you how they miss their friends or feel less entertained in general. This might give you an opportunity to come up with ideas to fill the gap for your child better. For example you can set up an online meeting for them with their pals, or do movie nights to help make up for the outings. These little efforts of accommodating your child`s needs, will not only help them look at the brighter side but also help them spend this difficult time with ease and without putting themselves at risk.

Engagement

Children are full of energy and vigour for life. Asking a child to stay locked inside the house is like putting a bird in a cage. But don`t worry, there are many fun, productive and interesting ways you can keep your child fully engaged in a wholesome manner.

1) Online Daycares

While offline daycares are not an option due to the nationwide health crisis, you can enroll your child for an online daycare program. This way, your child can keep learning as well as engage in curated- fun and cognitively beneficial activities. The Banyan offers The Banyan Online Program For Kids, where your child receives a teacher-led learning experience, age-appropriate worksheets, opportunity to take part in fun activities and even special DIY resources.

2) Turn them into your little apprentice

Your child can be your sous-chef or your mini-mechanic! Get the child involved in your own day-to-day tasks. Needless to mention do this without overburdening them. Not only will this be a tremendous learning experience, as they will possibly pick up new skills by observing you doing different things, but will also be a great bonding opportunity for you and your child.

3) Offer them creative toys to play with

There are many options for fun toys that also spark the imagination and innovative capabilities of children. These can be more common toys such as play-dough, lego or puzzles, as well as newer, more interactive toys called STEM toys (STEM a.k.a. Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) which can range from toys that teach counting to build-your-own-robot kits. These toys are pretty exciting and help accelerate your child`s cognitive development.

We hope this blog was helpful to you. To read more illuminating parenting content, please visit Parenting Nuggets.