Many countries around the world are experiencing lockdown due to coronavirus panic, aimed at keeping people at a distance from each other. Government of Pakistan has closed schools in all the four provinces and regions up to 5th of April; the Sindh government has proposed moving summer holidays from June and July to April and May. It is suggested that the pandemic could only be contained through keeping distance, isolation and other precautions recommended by WHO and other agencies.
Children and youth, who are in schools and colleges and are away from home for a few hours, are at home all the time now, enhancing challenges for parents to manage. Often, during holidays people visit relatives, friends, and go for new experiences in different cities, but coronavirus’ panic and government announcements have compelled people to stay at home.
We should learn that by creating the fear of coronavirus the virus could win, and we may suffer a loss in the shape of anxiety
The challenge has hardened for both parents and children at the same time. Some working parents have started to work from home. Parents are puzzled on how to limit children, and children are thinking about how to spend time. Both the parties are looking for positive engagements within the home premises.
Let’s take this is an opportunity instead of panicking. It is time to start thinking that you have got an opportunity to spend time at home. Interestingly, such occasions hardly come when closely related people have plenty of time to spend together. Generally, while during school days children are like the proverbial camels that roam around in circles, doing the same job. Children are seen doing same tasks around the year: school, tuition, home. Children hardly find time to chat with parents, and parents usually think that children are studying so they should not be bothered when home. In the given routine everybody keeps a conspicuous distance from everybody. This goes on around the year except on Eid festivals and if there is a family celebration.
We should learn that by creating the fear of coronavirus the virus could win, and we may suffer a loss in the shape of anxiety. Instead of pouring fear into children parents need to talk to them, listen to them, and answer their questions. Aimed at safety, parents need to keep a vigilant eye on children and their activities within the house and in the neighbourhood. As it is very hard to keep them in the house, they will move, play, make noise and bother you. Keep in mind that children’s cognitive and psychomotor skills keep functioning at the same time.
In this condition if you are thinking of keeping children busy with cell phone and laptops, it may cause a hazard that could be more dangerous than coronavirus. The data shows that the coronavirus caused death rate is low compared to the other dangerous viruses that emerged in the world. Many people have recovered from the virus attack; however, nobody is reported to have a nervous system disease or eyesight problems from the virus, but they are caused by excessive use of cell phones. During holidays if you depend on screens to keep children sitting, it will prove to be a mistake. As the duration of gadgets usage will increase, children will be exposed to social media that currently has a high level of traffic about virus and deaths. That may cause children to be afraid or stressed.
We have to seek positive engagement for children within our homes. It may be an opportunity for parents who are educated or trained on children’s training and counselling to build the castle and step forward by filling the gaps that schools couldn’t bridge in their children’s personalities. These may include talking sessions with children about their ethics, attitude, behaviour and life skills you want your children to have. This could be an interesting but a bit challenging to start.
If your children have any interest in reading, you could suggest them books, read along with them, and discuss and share your insights. At this time, you will need to depend on the books that you already have in your house, as shpooing for books or getting books on order may have a threat of getting the virus. It is a good time to browse the internet for eBooks. Use this time to share and discuss books’ websites, writers’ blogs, authors and publishers; do not miss this chance, it comes very rarely.
When your children go to school you tell your family and friends that your children are busy studying, but when they come in practical life you start complaining that they didn’t learn about doing important domestic tasks. There are some things that I think every child must learn at home at an early age. These may range from keeping their things in order, cleaning home, watering plants, cooking, washing clothes, and gardening. Such things teach children more than skills, and their attitude to people and things change. Even if you rely on domestic staff to do most of the work, your children can learn result-oriented things that help their emotional growth, development and preparation for life.
Set a time for TV news to keep them updated. Try to watch news with children and responds to all their questions regarding the pandemic of coronavirus. This way children will not go in a panic mode; they will be confident that they have knowledge and information about the situation. With younger children, you may assign them tasks to explore the topics that are shared in the news on television. This will engage them in research for more learning and fun. When you give them such tasks, set a completion time, and tell them how you expect them to present their research to the family.
A writers’ club can also be a good activity to develop stories, either collectively and/or individually. The club may engage children of the extended family and friends through social media groups and blogs. A writers’ club could have science, social study and language projects of everybody’s interest. Children who are not willing to write may read and respond to others’ stories.
Over time there could be many activities and assignments for keeping children positively engaged. The important point is whatever your children are doing there should be a positive outcome. Keep in mind that when parents have fun with their children it results in strengthening their relationship; it provides encouragement and elicits happiness that makes way for a bright future for children. Simply playing indoor games with children could be one of the many options to have fun. I have seen some people playing Ludo and carom board, but most people do not go for playing chess. I suggest that you try to learn about chess from the internet and start playing with your children. Let me inform you that chess is incorporated in some good schools’ curriculum internationally. qa
These are some of the ideas to engage our children positively, enjoy collectively and learn more to contribute better for the future of Pakistan.
The writer is a freelance columnist