Healthy Families During COVID-19

• Find time each day to focus on the people who matter most to you.
• Take time to reach out to someone in your family and check they are ok.

• Maintain a routine.
• Plan activities for children to keep them occupied during times when you need to be productive or attend meetings. This maybe craft activities or a movie.
• Have a family dinner with extended family through FaceTime or Zoom. Everyone cooks a similar meal and sit down and eat it together.
• Have a family movie night complete with pyjamas, popcorn and ice-creams. Laugh and chat about the movie.

• Plan something different to do with your family to give them variety (which fits in with Government guidelines and restrictions).

• Identify technology that will teach you and your family a new skill. Remember that this is a very unusual time and you may find that you are utilising more ‘screen time’ than you normally would. Just remind yourself and the children that this is only a temporary adjustment.
• Practice gratitude at a meal with the children. Ask each child what was good about the day and how they felt. It gives them an opportunity to reflect on their day and share with their family.

• Try to get the adults and children outside for part of the day.
• Go on a treasure hunt walk. Set things to find like a big dog, black cat, parrot or certain coloured flowers. Allow the children to tick off the list as they find them.
• Sit and talk to the children about what is happening. Keep it simple, clear and age appropriate.
• Reassure them that their hand washing and staying home is helping to make the family safe!

Sit down with your child/children each morning and make a schedule of what the day is going to look like. The goal is not to re-create the school day exactly, as that is impossible, but to build a new routine for doing schoolwork at home. For most ages, 30-minute blocks are best for specific academic tasks

It might be going for a walk or doing some dancing together. Movement will assist in refreshing the parent as well as assisting the child!

Schedule time to be with the children. You may like to say that you will work for 45 minutes and then you will do a fun activity with them for 15 minutes

While it may not be possible to have grandparents to come over and look after the children is it possible that they can connect through technology. Can you set up a book reading time when grandparents can read a book or maybe you can arrange with friends to lead a craft making group for 30 minutes? 

Be mindful in the way you speak to children about COVID 19. Children will respond to nonverbal language as well as what you are speaking. Keep the language age appropriate and explain how much work you and they are doing to stay well such as washing their hands, staying at home, eating healthy and other things you are doing. 

Be on the lookout for signs of anxiety such as irritability or whining or even temper tantrums. This may be a sign that you need to take a breath and ask them what is on their mind. Encourage them to talk about their worries. Explain to them the importance of your work but stress that they are more important. Through the use of your schedule you can show the child when they can have play time with you but again stress you are always there if they are worried.

Look for the silver linings and practice gratitude.  Ask them what was great about what they just did.  It might be about a movie they watched or some craft they did.  Encourage them to tell you about why it was so good and be excited with them.  Now it is your turn to share with them something great you achieved! Consider how you can build your flexibility!