Friends, if you’ve turned on cable news or your social media feeds for more than 30 seconds in the past month, you might think that the world is somewhere between a Flonase commercial and the Walking Dead. Sure, we want to stay informed about the current status of the COVID-19 situation, but at what point do we stop, take a breath, and live our [social distancing modified] lives. Just as you want to stay in the know, so do your kids.
As parents, whether you have biological children, adopted children, or foster children, you know two things are important: Talking to your children about Coronavirus, and maintaining sanity in your home. Here are four tips to help you with both.
- Stay Positive. Yes, we know this sounds like a brush-fonted Instagram post, but hang tight! Sometimes we parents forget the power of our own example. Even the subtle ways we react to stresses and situations that we think are imperceptible to others are very noticed by our children. How stress affects us is how stress will affect them. They pick up on our cues and amplify them. If you need a few minutes to process things behind closed doors before facing your kids, take that opportunity.
- Have Structure. Despite the lack of normalcy, we’re all experiencing, it’s important to develop a daily structure. Experienced homeschoolers and entrepreneurs know, a good, solid routine helps pave the way to success. As the rest of us have, for a time, become de-facto homeschoolers, we’re learning this day by day. A consistent wake-up time, bedtime, and break time will do wonders for the atmosphere in your home.
- Have Fun. Since social distancing and shelter-in-place have become commonplace over the past month, many families have shared how this time has brought them together. Families who wouldn’t normally share many meals together at home are now able to do so almost every day. Maybe it’s time to empty out the board game closet or fire up the old Nintendo Wii. Regardless of what method you use to have fun together, let them know that you’re glad that you get to spend this extra time with them.
- Don’t Forget To Ask Them How They’re Doing. Even though on the surface your kids may seem ok, there may be more they’re dealing with on the inside that they may not quite know how to process on the outside. The stressors of not being able to see grandparents, other family members, or friends can weigh heavily on them, even if they’re not showing it. Ask your children how they’re feeling. Let them know it’s ok to be upset, or annoyed, or afraid, but that you can get through all this together.
Whether you’ve been talking to your children about Coronavirus for several weeks, or you’re just starting, there’s never been a better moment for you and your family to turn a bad situation into a special time than right now. Hang in there moms and dads, we’re with you.
Stay safe. Stay healthy!
