As adults, living through the last 12 months with the threat of the coronavirus infecting you or your family members has been really difficult. At times, it has felt like your whole life has been turned upside down. At best, it has meant that you cannot get out and do many of the things you like to do in your spare time like visit restaurants, go to a sports game or even go on vacation.
At worst, it could have seriously jeopardized your career and your ability to earn a living. It has also been a really frustrating time for our children. When they are so young a year can seem like an awfully long time, especially if for many months of that year they have not been able to see their friends, family or even their teachers in person.
With that in mind, here are some of the ways you can keep life as normal as possible for your child while the world is still in a pandemic.
Set up a proper school desk for them at home
Many schools have resorted to closing school campuses to reduce the chance of the virus spreading between pupils.
Instead, teachers are working hard to make sure they can give the most effective lessons possible through the internet. As a parent, it is just as important that you work as hard to make sure your child has the best possible chance of a normal education during this pandemic.
This article has a whole list of How teachers can help students learn online and some of the things you can do as a parent as well. For example, make sure your child has a desk which they can complete their work from.
While they might want to work from the sofa or even their bed, there are lots of things that can distract them from their lesson in those places.
Keep in touch with friends and family
When your children are at this age, friendships are more important than ever.
They help them develop the language and social skills they will rely on to communicate with people in later life. That is why it is so important to encourage your child to keep talking to their friends and family members.
When it is not practical or safe for them to meet up with each other, encourage them to talk on video conferencing software like Zoom. You could even set up activities for them to play online together, like a virtual escape room or even arrange for them to stream the same movie together.
Exercise regularly
Just because your child is restricted from being able to go certain places, it does not mean that they are restricted to staying sat at home all day.
Encourage them to take regular breaks to take a walk to the park or just around the block. Instead of playing console games all day, encourage them to download an app like Pokémon Go which rewards them for walking long distances to catch new creatures.
