from home this past week with my crew close by have taught me a few tips at being
productive while engaging my trio. In my characteristic way, I want to share. #icantkeepsilence. I consistently strive to maximize every
opportunity life brings my way.
The ‘stay home, stay safe’ maxim has afforded us
an early holiday and ample family time. So since hubby and I still have to work,
we planned out an easy routine for the kids. Implementing this was easy as our
first child is 10 years old and can comfortably handle her team with minimal
supervision from me. You can tweak the tips below to fit your scenario.
So below are the routines I developed
as the days went by –
1. Have their
daily activities (routine) written out to serve as a reminder – My hubby
and I put together a set of frequently observed daily activities to help guide
and order our kids’ daily activities. We made reference to the last daily routine
used last school session (see below).This was pasted where the kids can easily
see to serve as a reminder. Do remember the list is just a guide, please adjust
to suit accordingly.
2. Maintain
a consistent bedtime to allow for a coordinated wake up time – with school closed for now, we moved the kid’s bedtime from 8.30pm to 10pm, so they get to sleep longer and wake at about 8am. This allow us (hubby and I) observe our morning time/routine which hasn’t changed much. We plan to revert to
normalcy once a resumption date is communicated.
3. Set a
fixed time for daily study and have a time table written, printed and pasted on the family notice board – The
kids are to study one subject a day for an hour and half, thereafter answer
questions and review the subject with daddy or mummy. They also get to try out
online versions of the scheduled subject to allow for variety and eliminate
boredom. Good study behaviour gets rewarded with a longer game/play time at
break, a favourite fruit, drink or cookies. With the reward in view, we get
little or no disruptions with work (from home)
4. Chores
should be shared according to age and
ability (list here) –
with everyone at home, the house chores seem to increase; so we involve the
kids in most of the chores. Truth be told, I am not gunning for the ‘power
woman’. tittle neither do I strive for perfection in their given chores; I only
desire a clean and tidy home; also ease of cooking till the paid assistant
resumes from the ‘Covid -19 break.’ Chores done haphazardly are repeated till
the expected outcome is achieved’
5.
Schedule a time for online educational activities – Make use of the different verified educational links.
A few of them do not require data to use after the initial download, while
other require the use of an active internet connectivity. A favourite for my
kids are the ‘Brain pop’ word puzzle, spelling bee and audible for kids. The
list below will serve as a guide.
6.
Consciously schedule a time for outdoor activity or games – sunshine and a breath of fresh air are a few
of nature’s generous gifts. Allow your kids have a healthy dose of these two;
for those without ample space, be creative with the space at your balcony. My
kids go outside to play, run or just sit to take in fresh air at about 5pm,
as all expectations from work slows down at that period. So once done,
they head to the bathroom to clean up and have dinner.
7. Begin
a bible reading plan with your kids –
Yesterday while explaining Covid -19 to my kids, I used the word ‘plague’ and
the conversation digressed to the story of biblical plagues in Egypt as
recorded in the book of Exodus. So I encouraged them to read 10 chapters (a
lot! I know but they achieved it!) of Exodus for two days and then discuss extensively
at bedtime. Interestingly, it is recorded that the children of Israel were
given sets of rules to keep them safe from the plaque, and so I emphasized why
the ‘RULES’ in the season must be adhered to
8.Create a
special family time where everyone looks forward to – a time preferably in the evening where all gadgets
are at rest and full attention given to family members. Do endeavor to have meal
times, TV time or any preferred activity(ies) with your kids as many of us do
not enjoy such pleasures due to work, traffic and other constraints. Laugh
freely at the different tantrums, pray together, enjoy some family themed movie
and be excited for the blessing called ‘family and home’.
9.
Encourage an attitude of gratitude – Discourage
all feeling of grumpiness, complaints or boredom, teach your kids how to
redirect their energy to positive and productive thoughts.
most people, staying home and having many disruptions to private space and time
can be choking. Practice the act of being grateful for everything and all
things, breathe in and out before you attempt yelling at that child, (laughter)., Finally be
patient and know our kids are watching every
action. Our response to a
crisis or period of discomfort today is the visual
lesson they will stored up for tomorrow’s use. #bedelibrate
(virtually). Where possible, share needful items like food stuff, toiletries,
etc that will help another family live comfortably in the days ahead.
we work towards the complete eradication of this pandemic.
stipulated instruction from NCDC and relevant authorities
1 Comment
SMS
July 13, 2020 at 4:38 amYour site is very helpful. Many thanks for sharing!