Month: March 2020

With schools and daycares closing across the country because of COVID -19, the kids are now stuck at home. Since children thrive on routine, there is sure to be some upheaval. But we are here to help! In our previous post we gave you some tips to create a schedule at home for your children. In this post, we will highlight some activities and ideas to keep them engaged and busy.

• You know all those cardboard boxes your online orders come in? There are tons of things your kids can do with them.  If you have a big enough box you can turn it into a playhouse or a car. You could flatten out a smaller cardboard box and paint a road on it around which your child could set up a village or a farm, or even race their toy vehicles on. This will keep your kids entertained for hours!

• Kids love to paint and colour on things, so find old toys, buckets, even pieces of fabric and let them go wild. You could even cover a wall in their room with chalkboard paint on which they could draw or do some writing practice. Here’s a link to help you with this. 

• Make reading and storytelling a daily activity. Create a cozy reading nook where you can keep their books, sit there and read aloud to your child. Also give them blocks of time in the day where they can read books by themselves or even just look at the pictures if they don’t know how to read as yet. 

• Learning at home can be fun and screens can help you with that. There are plenty of learning apps you can download onto your phone or tablet, such as Intro to Math or Endless Alphabet. Your little one can use the apps to trace letters, identify objects and animals and even do number work. However, make sure to use screens as a tool and limit screen time.

• Set up a Whatsapp/Facebook group with like-minded parents and every day let one parent suggest an activity that all the kids can do – this could be anything from the child painting their self portrait, to making a puzzle out of cardboard or even a simple science experiment. Once done you can share the images of your child’s creation on the group.

• Give your child plenty of opportunity for free play while at home. This is much needed for their imagination to grow and creativity to be sparked. Put their toys on a mat (rotate the toys around every couple of days) and allow your little one to lead and decide what they want to play with. Sit with them for a bit if they want you to and then move on to doing chores near them, thereby allowing them to learn how to play independently.

• There is plenty of stuff at home your child can lend a hand with. In the kitchen, let the kids wash vegetable and fruits, measure out ingredients, and even clean up. They can help dust around the house, water the plants and when it comes to laundry your child can measure out the detergent, dry clothes etc. There is no dearth of domestic activities your child can help out with, and they are never too young to start.

• Parks and sports centres might be closed, but your child can still get in some physical activity. Do some kid-friendly exercise videos together, turn on some music and dance around the living room as a family, and if you have some space around your home they can skate or cycle around. If possible, you could even go for a walk around the neighbourhood.

We hope the above ideas help you plan fun activities to do with your kids. And remember, like we said in our previous post, there will be days where you might not be able to do any activities with them, or just allow them to spend all day colouring or watching something. It’s fine! Try to get back on schedule as soon as you can, and remember this too shall pass. 

In an attempt to prevent the spread of COVID -19, malls and theatres have closed down, events have been postponed, and everyone is trying to practice social distancing. Schools have also been closed, and after-school classes and sports activities have been cancelled. While this is a much-needed move at this time, parents can’t help but ask themselves, ‘What are the kids going to do all day?’

 Kids are used to a routine and being shut up at home is going to lead to restlessness, loads of complaining and constant snacking. It would be easy to stick the little ones in front of a screen so that they aren’t getting in the way, but with weeks of no school lying ahead, this isn’t a realistic solution. We have put together a few things you can do to help set up a schedule to keep your child engaged for most of the day. 

∙      During the week, try to stick to the same wakeup time they would have if they were going to school.

∙      Let them eat breakfast and be ready for the day around the time they would leave for school.

∙      Use the times followed at school as a guideline, for example: 

1. If they, usually, do an activity at school between 9.30-10.30 am do a worksheet or even a simple experiment with your child at that time.
2. There might be a break at school around 11 am to go to the bathroom and have a snack. At this time, stop the activity and have your little one help prep a simple snack. Once they are done eating, have them wash and clear up.

∙      Break the day into 15-30 minute blocks of time. After snack time, you could read to your child and then allow them to do some free play or colouring till it’s time for lunch.

∙      Post-lunch, let your child have some quiet time for an hour. If your little one doesn’t nap, ask them to rest and turn on some soothing music for them to listen to.

∙      At around 3.30 pm, there could be a snack break again, followed by another activity. This could be anything from a craft project or doing a puzzle together.

∙     Next up, an outdoor activity if possible. Some ideas you could try are cycling within the building compound or going for a walk around the neighbourhood (while maintaining distance from other folks around), or even some dancing around on the terrace.

∙      Follow this with a bath, dinner and some more free play before bedtime. 

 While the above is just a general template that you can tweak to suit your famly and you, there are a few things to keep in mind while building a routine for the day.

• Whenever possible, try to involve the kids in simple household chores. 
• Change up the activities every day and try to rotate what toys the kids play with. 
• When it comes to television and tablets, don’t use them as a distraction. If your little one is used to a certain amount of screen time at a particular time of the day, you can stick to that. 

 This situation is new to most of us, so give yourselves a break if you can’t keep up! There will be a day where you don’t do any activities with your kids or allow them to watch more television than usual. The next day if possible, try to get back on schedule. And remember, all this is just temporary, and eventually life will go back to normal. 

Stay tuned for our upcoming post on activities and ideas to keep your child engaged and entertained while at home.

With everything that’s happening around us in the wake of the novel Coronavirus, with adults, kids at school and the news all hyper-focused on this outbreak, reassuring our children is important for them to feel safe. When they can talk about their feelings, they become less overwhelming, less upsetting and less scary.

Keep lines of communication open

Children tend to be anxious, especially when they don’t understand what is happening around them. They are hearing about the virus everyday, noticing people wearing face masks, hearing inaccurate stories from everywhere and seen their parents become more vigilant. Don’t be afraid to discuss what is happening, and take the time to convey the facts, and set an emotional tone. This makes them feel informed, and reassures them.

Be age appropriate

Don’t overload your kids with too much information, they will find it difficult to process everything all at once. Instead, give them the basic facts and try and answer any questions they may have.

Don’t add to their anxiety

When you’re feeling most anxious, it’s better not to have a conversation with your kids. Try to take some time to calm your nerves before trying to have a conversation to answer their questions.

Be calm and reassuring

Hearing about the virus will make children worry that they might catch it too. It’s helpful to reassure your child about how rare the coronavirus actually is (the flu is much more common) and that kids actually seem to have milder symptoms. We can teach them that most people who catch this sickness stay home, rest and get better, and that we have wonderful doctors and nurses who can help people when they need it.

Focus on what you’re doing to stay safe

An important way to reassure your kids is to emphasize healthy habits and the safety precautions that you can take as a family. We know that the coronavirus is transmitted mostly by coughing and touching surfaces. Teach them everyday actions they can do to reduce the spread of germs – this will help them feel more in control of the situation. Remind them to distance themselves from people who are coughing or sneezing. Help them understand the importance of washing their hands more frequently with soap and water. Educate them about good personal hygeine, and the proper way to cough, sneeze and dispose of tissues.

Stick to regular routines as far as possible

Children don’t like uncertainty. Staying rooted to routines is essential for them to feel reassured, happy and healthy. If schools and daycares are closed, treat it how you would a school break, with structured days and regular mealtimes and bedtimes.

Pay attention to what children see or hear

Consider reducing the amount of screen time focused on COVID-19. Too much information can lead to anxiety, and a lot of content may be taken out of context.

As public conversations around COVID-19 increase, children may worry about themselves, their family, and friends getting ill. Parents, family members, school staff, and other trusted adults can play an important role in helping children make sense of what they hear in a way that is honest, accurate, and minimizes anxiety or fear. Remind kids that maintaining healthy habits are always good, everyday ways to strengthen our bodies. We will all get sick sometimes, but we can be responsible in getting rid of germs when we practice handwashing, good personal hygiene and basic healthy living.

For more information and updates on the Coronavirus, do follow our COVID-19 updates page.

The first year of your baby’s life goes by quickly. Okay, the sleepless nights seem never ending, but at the same time your baby is learning and growing at a rapid pace during those first 12 months. They seem to outgrow their clothes overnight (growth spurts are very real). One minute they are cooing at you, and the next they are rolling over. 

And rolling over is just the start! Soon they are rocking on to all fours, learning to sit, crawl, pull themselves up, and by the end of their first year and toward the beginning of their second year, your little one will be toddling around. This is one of the best parts of parenting, watching your baby discover their mobility as well as the world around them. 

This is also when baby-proofing your home becomes real and vital. You can’t expect a baby on the move to not press switches and not open drawers. They’re also going to pick up everything they find and shove it in their mouth. We’ve put together some tips for you to create a safe environment for your child where they can play, gain physical dexterity and explore.

• First off pick a space where you can keep an eye on your baby as they play even if you need to wander around completing chores. This could be right outside the kitchen or near your desk, whatever works for your routine and work.

• Close up all plug points in the vicinity, bundle up loose wires and cords and move away furniture that your child can pull. You can find tons of baby proofing products online such as foam padding to cover sharp corners of furniture, and safety locks to attach on to drawers and cupboards.

• Clear the space of small and breakable items, and set up gates to create an enclosed safe space for your baby, or put them in a playpen. This way you don’t have to worry about your little one getting hurt while exploring.

• Once you’ve created this safe space, put down a colourful play mat and baby toys like a mobile, chew toys and rattles, among others. Let your baby spend time trying to grab, roll over and reach for their toys. Remember to wash and disinfect the mat and toys from time to time.

• As your child starts sitting and crawling, there are bound to be some falls. You could use a thicker foam mat in the play area to keep them safe. When they start to pull up to stand make sure the furniture your baby is holding on to is sturdy and won’t topple over. 

• While your child is meeting these physical milestones, spend time watching them. Encourage and talk to your baby while they are trying to sit or stand.  And remember to praise and applaud them when they do it!

• Once your baby is starting to toddle, add some baby furniture to their play area. A little table and chair where they can sit and stack building blocks, or play with their toys. In this way, they will learn to use the furniture and feel that the space is their own.

You could keep your child safe by strapping them into a rocker or a baby swing, but this would restrict their movements, and some studies say that babywalkers can delay your baby’s physical development.

However, by creating a secure environment for your child to play in, you can rest easy that your baby is safe and that they have enough space to move around and explore.