For the first time in my children’s lives, they are not being rushed to put on shoes or get out the door. There are no scheduled piano lessons or gymnastics classes for which we cannot be late. No standardized tests. No carpools or playdates or summer day-camps that we frantically booked months in advance.
Ironically, even though media and technology seem to be the cause of our collective pessimism, they’re also essential for overcoming it, either by using them wisely or knowing when to put them away. Here are six ways to find the silver lining in every cloud.
We all know that getting children out into the garden for some sunshine and a bit of fresh air is good for them. Gardening in particular, teaches important life lessons – hard work, patience, responsibility. But, in fact, the benefits stretch far further.
All aboard! Do you have any Thomas the Tank Engine™ fans at home? Join Caribu to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Thomas and Friends™ with our first of four Video Read Alouds featuring Kevin Jonas. The series kicks off with “Thomas and Gordon,” an exciting tale that teaches Thomas a lesson about respecting the hard work of others.
…much can learned from activities that are less formal and more spontaneous than classroom work. And so, over the past seven weeks, we’ve established a good routine that is helping us all to cope.
A feelings chart is really any tool that helps a child expand their emotional vocabulary. It helps kids reflect on their feelings and describe them with more precision.
Art can be used as a “communication bridge” for parents and children, says Nadia Paredes, a California-based registered art therapist, and may be especially useful in starting difficult conversations.
Gone for now are the days of traditional playdates, team sports, and even school recess. Who knew playing at the playground would be something we’d take for granted. We all have had to come to grips with this new normal, but as an adult, it’s easier to stay connected to your friends. But it’s important to remember that kids need to keep in touch just as much, if not more than we do. And they can continue to work on their playdate social skills.
Throughout our family’s long first month of social distancing—which in our case has amounted to being basically self-quarantined—you’ve adapted to a tremendous amount of change.
The new realities of working from home, temporary unemployment, home-schooling of children, and lack of physical contact with other family members, friends and colleagues take time to get used to. Adapting to lifestyle changes such as these, and managing the fear of contracting the virus and worry about people close to us who are particularly vulnerable, are challenging for all of us. They can be particularly difficult for people with mental health conditions.