Corona virus has led to school closures and left parents managing their professional lives together with taking up supervision and teaching of their children.
If you are a parent or guardian worried about how to keep your children engaged constructively while ensuring they are safe and not bored to death, then you are not alone. This post is going to look at some of the things your child can be engaged in during the extended school closure due to the Covid-19 outbreak.
“All is not lost! Children are more resilient than adults. School isn't the only setting where teaching and learning take place.”
Ways to Keep Your Child Engaged
1. Reading
Read to and with your child everyday; make this a routine. Reading bedtime stories is an effective way to ensure you children go to bed on time. While it is an enjoyable activity, it will also brush up on literacy skills of your children.
2. Teach a new skill
Children look up to us adults. Their parents are their heroes. So if you teach them something new, they will do it in awe. This can be an opportune time to strengthen parent-child relationship. You can have fun teaching and learning a simple craft, DIYs, fixing up the car, baking a cook. the ideas are endless.
3. Household chores
A little work never hurt anyone. Get your child acquainted with small chores in the house and help them be self-sufficient. It is important for kids to contribute to the household chores and holidays are the best time to get started.
4. Backyard gardening
Children love to be outdoors. Take this opportunity to engage them in vegetable gardening. It will provide much needed physical activity and at the same time ensure a steady supply of fresh fruit and vegetables during these trying times.
5. Take up a sport
Children have regular physical education and sport classes in school. With schools closing all of a sudden, sedentary lifestyle can lead to serious lifestyle problems. Children need to play just as we adults need to work. Remember, 'All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.'
6. Limit TV & electronic device time
While it is understandable that we have to practice social distancing and cannot visit places or invite visitors over, electronic devices such as smartphones, iPads, gaming consoles and TV can be highly addictive for young children. Limiting their time on these devices will ensure that they take up other activities and at the same time do not strain their eyesight.
7. Home schooling
Nearly all schools together with the Ministry of Education have prepared Home-based educational materials to ensure children don't miss out on teaching and learning during this extended period of school closure. You can access these supplementary resources and other educational sites online.
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