Many kids have had their typical lives uprooted by the pandemic. Most kids had to return home to attend remote learning sessions and are still dealing with this setup. Other kids may have returned to in-person school sessions, but it isn’t like it was.
Kids who are living life without school are starting to exhibit signs of anxiety, depression, and loneliness. These are not good signs for a growing and developing kid. Today we’re going to share some parenting tips to help kids cope with life without school.
These tips will help you parent a kid during the pandemic so that they can feel less confused, overwhelmed, and lonely during this new normal lifestyle.
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Create a Consistent Routine
One of the many reasons kids tend to thrive in a traditional school is because of the consistent routine. You’ll need to create a consistent routine that mimics that of traditional school for your kids to feel like there are some expectations during the day.
Remote school has removed the kids’ ability to have a stable and consistent routine. Work with your kid’s virtual teachers to develop a daily routine that helps them thrive in a virtual classroom setting. Be sure to schedule lunch and breaks for your kids, including a time for recess.
Get Outside
If you can get outside, do it! Kids must get some fresh air and daily physical activity while they’re stuck at home. Scheduling a time for recess where you let your kids go outside to the backyard to run around or be creative allows them a break from this mundane lifestyle.
Try to plan for backyard activities like hopscotch, tag, or playground fun whenever possible. Consider having at least a thirty-minute recess each day during your kids’ virtual school day. This will allow them to run off any anxiety they have and get a breath of fresh air in between difficult classes.
Limit the Negativity
Do your best to keep the news and social media away from your kids’ daily schedule. Most outlets are sharing extremely negative and doom and gloom information. While you may believe this doom and gloom to be true, a kid shouldn’t have these adult conversations being part of their life.
Keep social media and news information limited while your kids are home. Try to find other content they can enjoy on the internet or television if they must watch something online or on your TV. Minimizing the negativity that’s featured all over the world will help keep their feelings in check.
Raising kids during this challenging season in life may be difficult, but it doesn’t have to be as overwhelming as it may have been a year ago. Do your best to use our tips to help your kids cope with life without school. Consider using new techniques and creative playtime to help your kids overcome negative feelings during the pandemic. A consistent schedule, backyard fun, and keeping your kids away from the doom and gloom of news or social media will help protect their mental health so that they can thrive in the at-home virtual school lifestyle.