As children around the globe have shifted from their schools to homes due to COVID-19, a sub-crisis alongside has raised the mental stress for Indian parents. 'What will the children do all day?'
The widespread school closures have sent a current effect into parent communities as many rushes to find ways to transition kids into at-home life smoothly. It's one thing to play with them all day over the weekends but when you have made them engaged 24*7 to fill for an indefinite period.
The secret is one that preschools follow very well, 'daily routine.' Children are used to following a schedule for the day that helps everything fall into place. The objective is to keep children active and to learn while allowing the parents to balance other things too.
Here are the steps to set a routine for a child:
1. Start with the child's school routine
The children are used to their school framework, so start the day with a child's routine like breakfast or snacks. Break the whole day into small chunks, unlike school does.
2. Dedicate time for play
As parents, one needs to carve out 15-30 minutes for dedicated child-led games after mapping times for things like food and school assignments.
The more a child plays, the more he/she learns. It also helps children to imagine, create, build, or invest in their serious learning.
3. Schedule in some indoor activities
Easy indoor activities can be an immense way to practice school skills and a method to encourage and entertain children. These activities do not need to be complicated or time taking to set up.
The exercise should be planned with proper timing like from one chunk to another after snack time or before dinner.
4. Build-in reading
During a lockdown, being home all day is the right time to make a habit of reading amongst children. The study needs to be 15-20 minutes, by breaking it apart, not all at once. It shows the importance of reading to children.
Consider structuring the schedule for learning in a few different ways - parent reads out loud, the child too read aloud while blocking family quiet reading time.
5. Go to recess
Recess time is a part of school life for children. They are used to open spaces like parks over playgrounds. If there is a backyard at the homes, let them allow running around there. Outdoor play has lots of advantages for children.
6. Make a screen time routine
Children also need screen time to relax their minds. While schools are closed, use them shrewdly, as a parenting tool.
During this pandemic, children are learning time management and priority-setting skills. We, as parents allow to let the child to put his plan into action to practice these skills.
We might need to tweak the new schedule. It's about managing the child's desire to make things happen with the realities of how certain challenging activities are at home, how much time they take, and how possible it is for the family to deal it all.
(The author is the founder and director at Petals India's Preschool Club)
Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own and do not reflect those of DNA.
