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Counseling

Keeping Your Child Occupied During the Lockdown

Tanya Rathi

April 07, 2020
Last updated July 15, 2021


Whether you are a parent whose job is letting you work from home or you're at home with no way to continue your office work, taking care of children and ensuring that they are well engaged during these difficult and unusual times is a challenge for parents. While there is no one right answer to use this lockdown period to ‘strengthen family bonding’, spend time productively and ‘continue to learn’, and most of all ‘stay emotionally healthy, there are a few things parents can do to get there.

1. Develop a schedule 

After the initial adjustment period life will feel more normal if you stick to a routine. Maintain your usual household rules. This will give your kids a sense of normalcy and help reassure them that some things have remained the same. This is one of the reasons why in Premier International IB World School we conduct the online school. Post the schedule somewhere where every family member can see, preferably created in collaboration with your child.  

2. Keep children occupied while you work

Taking care of your children, keeping them entertained and occupied while you are also trying to get your work done is difficult. While computers and cellphones can keep children occupied for hours, we all know that it is not the best thing for the child. Try working alongside each other. For example, have your child assist you when you do the household chores like cooking or cleaning or have them do something similar like organize his/her closet while you organize yours, or write a journal while you work on some documents.  

3. Pre-plan activities and give choice  

Make a list of activities the child might want to engage in, for example, take a virtual tour to someplace, learn to sing or choreograph a dance routine. Involve children in brainstorming these creative ideas and have your child choose one activity to do every day. Giving children choices will allow them to have some control over their lives at a time when there is so much uncertainty. For more ideas, Montessori Kinderworld and Premier International IB World School, post fun and engaging age-appropriate activities every day on their Facebook and Instagram Page. 

Incorporating these elements during the time of lockdown will help you get your work done, build a strong family bonding and at the same time instill a sense of control and predictability, ultimately helping your child feel emotionally safe. Stay at home, stay safe!

Tanya Rathi is the school counselor at the Premier International IB World School.

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