Parents are overall too much concerned about their children and their wellbeing.

To engage their kids in various activities that are educative as well as creative is always a challenge for everyone. But children have their own routine in every day life. 

Now that there is lockdown and there are no other extra curricular or curricular activities, it must be a challenge for parents to manage household work along with their kids.

Exams have been cancelled and there is a decision to promote the child to the next grade.

There have also been board exams that have been conducted and the parents are tensed about the career of their child.

Also with the schools being shut, many parents are worried about the portion and studies of their children.

The question would definitely arise as to what can I do to keep my child busy during the lockdown.

Certain Tips for Parents 

– Engage the kids with your daily house chores, this will help them develop various skills and will keep them busy.

– Give them options to explore creativity.

– Explain them when they question you

– Set certain rules and routine activities for them to follow

– Sit together and discuss career options.

A healthy discussion and taking everyone’s views in consideration will help everyone.

– Is your child weak in some subject?

Sit together and work on that subject.

–Be friends with your kids.

Yes, you are their parent, but being more friendly with the kids will make them feel more comfortable and more free to share things with you. It will create a friendly atmosphere.

–Explain them about the lockdown and reason behind the lockdown.

It is very natural that the child will become curious about why he/she has to stay at home and not play outside. Explain them in very simple words, example: Dettol add.

–Check on your words

Many times you are busy with your work or are working from home and the child wants to spend time with you or is doing something that you have to have a check on, this could distract you and you may get angry. Do check what you tell your child and how you tell your child.

–Say sorry and explain more

Saying sorry after you are angry gives a comforting feeling to the child, giving an explanation of why you were angry gives them an understanding of the situation.

–Involve them in the kitchen

•You can instruct them to put the utensils at proper place

•You could find a new recipe and tell your child to give you ingredients as well as read further instructions for you to follow

•You could tell the child to put every used utensil in the sink

If your child is older than 5th grade you could cook with them too

–Use Clay

•Give them clay to make various things and also it enhances their creativity and motor skills.

•You could also use clay to make certain things and then combine everything and come up with one single story.

•If you don’t have clay, use dough, it can last for many days.

–Let them draw and paint

•This will give them stories to tell, and also keep them engaged.

•You’ll can also draw to go back to your childhood and enjoy with your kids.

•Combine the images that all of you have drawn and make a story together.

–Use cardboard to make castles and other creative things

•Once you all make things together, make it like a miniature story scene and make a story.

–Dance, sing or act on some story together.

–Play Games

•Name, Place, Animal, Thing

•Complete a word using only vowels

•Atlas

–Instil a habit of reading

–Use educational websites, videos and podcasts

–Teach them to practice gratitude.

–When there is an adolescent child at home, he/she may think that his/her parents don’t understand things.

–During this lockdown, become their friend more and parent less.

–Try to communicate with them, however don’t ask questions just open the channel to a healthy communication.

–There are online games that you all can play together, if they are bored, you could suggest a new household schedule, be okay if they deny.

–Talk about your personal experiences and feelings when they are talking and you can find something relevant from your own life.

Also schools have started taking online studies for kids. At such times there

can be difficulties faced by parents if they don’t have more than one laptop at

home. During such times parents could use mobile to make kids attend classes

and use laptop to work, or they could plan a break from their work and engage

in household chores/hobbies/have some time for themselves during that time,

for example. Remaining calm and not getting tensed and/or stressed about the

situation can bring new ideas and new ways.

There may be times when the kids are given documents/worksheets to

complete and submit. At such times one can download the document and write

the homework in the notebook and submit, or, one can shoot video of what the

child has to say or do and send it. These are just my suggestions that I think

can help.