Covid -19: Perfect Time Out For parents, Children to Bond
Has your family cultivated healthy relationships during the coronavirus pandemic season?
Many parents are between a rock and a hard place as far as balancing between a tough business environment and nurturing children at home after the closure of schools due to the pandemic.
Many children are left at home under the care of house helps or relatives. Some parents are under the assumption that children are okay and it is parents who are stressed by the situation. The children are equally anxious as they cannot even engage in any normal extra-curricular activities with their peers. No-play and no-school isn’t easy for them.
This unprecedented season of prolonged home stay has resulted in conflicts between the children, especially teenagers, and their parents. Some parents have made deliberate efforts to make the best out of a bad situation. Here are some ways for us to make the best out of our current situation.
- Encourage two-way communication between parents and children. This can be cultivated through doing chores and fun activities together as opposed to giving instructions and standing by as a supervisor. This kind of teamwork goes a long way in reducing rebellion, especially from teenagers.
- Get in to your child’s life without being intrusive. Dads, fix their bikes and take you sons with you as you go to the garage. Moms, go shopping with your daughters. Engage them in casual conversations.
- Get creative. You can have a singing contest. Yes dad, you probably can’t sing to save your life, but it will serve as an ice breaker. You will crack their ribs with laughter. I am just saying. Have dinner together,Prepare meals as a team, Plant a garden together,Hit the gym together.and such likes. Surprise them with their favourite Pizza every now and then. You will be surprised how quickly they will open up to you as a friend.
As you do these things together with your children, your will have spontaneous opportunities to know what they like and don’t like, what they consider good or bad behaviour. Therein lies the opportunity to guide them through this difficult time of their lives as the pandemic throws to us more questions than answers.
Nothing lasts forever, said famous novelist Sidney Sheldon. When all this is finally over, what memories shall you be left with? Yes, times are tough but we create pleasant memories.
