Since the health crisis started, you spend more time at home. Your children also have to study from home. While it’s a good thing that you can bond, it also gives them more free time. They end up playing for several hours a day. Before you get frustrated about it, you have to understand that it’s part of growing up. Children need more time to play. They deserve to have it.
There should be an allotted time
Give your children the opportunity to play, especially since they have to be at home all the time. They also need to build on their social skills, but they can’t since they have no friends at home. As long as they play within the allotted time, it’s understandable. You can give them extra time too. Once they go beyond it, there should be consequences. Allow them to determine the perfect time to play. They can’t complain about the rules if they were part of creating them.
It’s not only about academic achievements
Online learning doesn’t mean you let your children study in front of the computer all the time. It’s boring and won’t help in making the learning process more engaging. This pandemic offers a rare opportunity to let the students study more practical lessons, so you have to make the most of it. You can try to bake or cook. You can also repair broken items. Your children will learn from these activities than reading books for hours. Another excellent idea is to install soft play equipment for the home. You might think that it will only give more time to play, but it’s meaningful. Your children can learn several skills for using soft play. Again, not having the chance to play with other children is a missed opportunity. Using this equipment is an excellent way to make up for that loss.
You also need time to be alone
When your children are busy playing, you can have time for yourself. You might be working from home, but you also have too many work-related tasks to deal with. You can only take a break when the work hours are over and your children are playing. It doesn’t mean you will leave them alone. You also have to spend time playing with them. When things get back to normal, you will miss that chance.
Be creative
This pandemic calls for creativity. Some parents already gave up because they find the setup too difficult. Instead of getting frustrated at what you can change, focus on what you can. Being creative requires you to think of ways to make your children feel good about being at home. If you already miss seeing your friends, your children feel the same. Give them a reason to stay home and not feel bad. Try to be optimistic and share it with them. Let them know that this health crisis will soon be over, and we can get back to our regular lives.
