Due to current pandemic guidelines, families will be spending significantly more time together than usual. William Murray outlines the World Health Organization's advice as to how parents can make this time at home as manageable as possible.
As the COVID-19 pandemic forces us all to pass a disproportionate amount of time at home, it could be seen as a good opportunity to catch up on some much-needed family time. However, with so much time in the same space, children are likely to get restless from being forced to stay indoors, not to mention stresses related to working from home and home-schooling, and parents may face challenges that can make keeping to the rules very difficult.
To help handle such stresses, the World Health Organization alongside some other organisations - UNICEF, End Violence Against Children, the Internet of Good Things, Parenting for Lifelong Health, USAID, Accelerate, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - have published a number of pieces of advice for those looking after children and young people during this difficult time. Here are the main six points that they outline:
1) One-on-one Time - Despite the many difficulties, this period provides a great opportunity for parent-child bonding. Depending on the age of your child or teenager, there are different way that this can be done.
2) Keeping it Positive - Try to use positive words when your child is misbehaving - 'Please could you put your clothes away,' instead of 'don't make a mess'. Shouting can aggravate situations so try to stay calm and use your child's name to get their attention. It is also important to praise your child when they are behaving well.
3) Structure up - Create a flexible but consistent daily routine for you and your child, which includes free time. You are a model of your child's behaviour - if you stick to the rules regarding safe distances, hygiene, and treating others with compassion; your child will too.
4) Bad Behaviour - You must understand that misbehaviour is normal during such a time of stress, but there are things that you can do to lower it. One-on-one time, praise for good behaviour, and keeping a consistent routine should reduce bad behaviour. Try to catch bad behaviour early and direct your child's attention towards good behaviour.
5) Keep Calm and Manage Stress - This is a stressful time and it is important to take care of yourself so you can support your children. You are not alone and there are many people feeling like this. It is important to try and take some time for yourself to do something relaxing when your children are asleep.
6) Talking about COVID-19 - You must be willing to talk. Children will already have heard something about the virus - silence and secrets do not protect our children; honesty and openness do. Think about how much they understand - you know them best.
These 6 points are expanded on the World Health Organizations website with more detailed information on how parents make this period at home with the family as pleasant as possible. If you have other ideas, please do share them with us on twitter @commonspaceEU
Source: William Murray, Project Officer and Coordinator at LINKS Europe, for commonspace.eu
Featured references:
The World Health Organization - 'Parenting in the time of COVID-19': https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public/healthy-parenting
