How to Manage Yourself as Parents During Pandemic?

Covid-19 Pandemic has adversely affected life across the globe. Family life, school & office closures, limited income sources, restricted social gatherings, and other changes undoubtedly impact mental peace. If you have a tiny baby in such circumstances, you must focus on ideal parenting without reflecting on the impact of diverse events around you.

Online Preschools are highly effective in managing your child and yourself at home during the Pandemic. However, the virtual classes last only for a limited period. Today, it is generally a pain point for every parent.

Well, here we are sharing with you the Top Tips That will help you easily live with New Norm (Hopefully Temporary).

Top 10 Tips for a Smoother Parenting in Pandemic

Everything has a solution, so take a deep breath and go through the following tips and tricks that might help you to lead your time peacefully and productively during the pandemic

1. Be Ready to Talk

Silence can create a hostile climate around your home. Hence, always be ready to listen and talk. Sit with your child, let them speak freely, and listen to their feelings. Spend some time with your family. Like talking to your child and talking to friends, keeps the family transparent and strengthens the link. Most of the time, the innocent talks of your little ones make you forget your own worries and live stress-free at the moment.

While you talk to your child:

• Ensure You Are Supportive
• Be Honest
• Answer Their Queries
• In Case of Confusion or Problem, Give the Solutions
• Explain The Situation

Pro Tip: Try not to leave your child unattended. Either be around them or engage them in one or the other activity.

2. Spend Some One-to-One Time with Your Child

Every child has a unique bond with his or her mother and father, and he or she may not feel equally at ease with both parents. When you give your child one-on-one time, he feels protected and comfortable. It's also easier to handle your child if both parents contribute equally. It is highly recommended to complete work from home without interruption. Your bond will be more prominent when you give your child one-on-one time.

Pro Tip- Make a proper day-to-day routine for the entire family, and a child’s responsibility should be equally divided between husband and wife.

3. Be a Child, With Your Child

Spending time with your child is an entirely different skill if you need their attention, and you have to wake up a child inside you.

Here is a list of a few tips that can help you be a better parent to your child:

• Involve in some music and dance
• Read a story to them
• Play some games - you can take ideas from YouTube or from online preschool teachers.
• Copy the facial expressions or sounds of your toddler
• Cook meals together
• Arrange the room, do some household chores
• Exercise together
• Involve them in memory game, or
• Anything that your child personally enjoys

Pro Tip- Managing work-life balance for parents with small children can be challenging, but spending time with them in your breaks will make them happy and keep you stress-free.

4. Fun and Playful Teaching

Most of us try to teach our children forcefully, but experiential learning gives the best results. You shall first practise all the things yourself that you wish to teach your child. When you focus on the fun way of teaching, parenting will be easier. Anything your child does will not appear to be frustrating, but you will start enjoying it.

Do you know? A simple activity can keep your child engaged for hours. You can start the play with them for 10 to 15 minutes as per the time availability and then continue with your work.

Pro Tip- Data visualisation allows children to learn faster and better. So, when you perform anything practically before your child, they will grasp and try it themselves.
Note: Even the Top Online Preschools worldwide follow the pattern of experiential learning.

5. Ensuring the Safety of Your Child by Teaching Them Habits of New Normal

During the pandemic, the most essential thing for parents is the safety of their children. So, ensure that you make them learn all the safety and hygiene practices.

• Build a habit of washing hands regularly
• Do not take them outside unnecessarily
• The moment they step out, make sure they wear mask
• It’s the best time to keep them away from junk food, and build their immunity.

By the time the kids go out after the controlled pandemic situation, they will be used to the new normal.

6. Keep Your Child Safe from The Online World

The best parenting is when you can protect your child from the online and offline world. We often leave our children with phones, enjoying rhymes, and videos online. There are many preschools and preschool franchises which give a fixed screen time for the toddlers. Well, there is no harm in allowing your child to spend some fun time online, but you need to keep an eye.

Online, children may encounter several threats, including:

• Adult content ads on social media, gaming, messaging, and other sites
• Harmful content like violence, bullying, suicidal, and more
• Use of inappropriate and abusive language
• Cartoons or animated videos spreading wrong messages, etc

Pro Tip- You can enable parental controls while handing over the smart devices to your children.

7. Stay off From Negative News

Watching the news of what’s happening around due to the pandemic, can keep you stressed and in panic. So, watch the news only for awareness, the extended grasping of disturbing news can upset the cheerful atmosphere of your home. The best way to Manage Yourself as Parents During Pandemic, is to choose your screen-time and content wisely. It is better to watch some entertaining live shows, comedy shows, that can add some laughter time for you and your family.

Pro Tip- Enjoying funny cartoon shows with your children is also a good idea, that can keep the entire family entertained.

8. Avoid Aggression, Arguments, and Bad Behaviour

It is normal to have arguments between partners while at home. However, you should keep in mind that apart from being husband and wife, you are parents too. So, even if you have any differences, make sure you act normal in front of your child. You can go into another room or talk after your child is asleep. If your child observes you, he would be nervous, might start crying or be scared of you. Every child is unique, and they might react differently.
Pro Tip-Children catch bad manners, and they can get restless. Even if your child witnesses you people fighting accidentally, immediately change the topic. Involve with your child in some fun intellectual games or other activities to divert their mind.

9. Meditate and Exercise

Being at home, managing your career, family, and child with tranquillity is challenging no matter how well you are at managing. Make meditation and exercise a part of your daily practice if you want to Manage Your Family During Pandemic and stay calm.

Pro Tip- It's normal to get upset, frustrated, or sad during a pandemic away from social life. If you feel uneasy, breathe, relax, and give some time to yourself.

10. Share the Load

Managing yourself as a mother or father during a pandemic, that too if it’s your first child, can be backbreaking. Here, the best solution is to maintain harmony in the family. Share the load with your partner, or other family members (in case of a joint family). When you try to manage everything yourself, you might impact your work or family life. Whenever or wherever you get stuck, discuss with your family, and you would definitely find a solution.

Pro Tip- Sharing your load with others will never let you down, instead you can divide your time wisely for your work, family, and child.

Summary
Pandemic is a tough time. Do not over-expect from yourself. If you want the best parenting for your child, do not restrict their learning during the growth years to yourself. It is better to enrol them in online preschool classes for their social-emotional development. They will see new faces, indulge in interactive activities, and be engaged for a few hours.

So, cheer up, this is just a time that too shall pass.
Stay Tuned for More Tips on Parenting.