What To Do As A Parent With Kids At Home Due To COVID-19

How to rally when the kids are at home, and you’re freaking out inside.

The latest pandemic has not only brought panic and death rate of 10 times that of the Flu, but it’s forced some profound changes in the way you have to conduct yourself. What began as regular handwashing quickly progressed to social distancing, travel restrictions, and mass cancellations.

And, depending on where you live, school and daycare closures.

What does this mean? You’re now the jack of all trades: Work from home employee, cook, sanitation worker, caregiver, entertainer, nurse, and now, educator.

What is coming up for you?

Fear? Dread? Frustration? Overwhelm? The pressure to handle it all flawlessly?

These are natural reactions when faced with a crisis and a fundamental change in your lifestyle.

Some part of you might be happy to be spending more time with your kids and wondering if this is your chance to try out a work-from-home arrangement. But mostly, this situation was thrust upon you without choice or notice. Suddenly, you go from worrying when this crisis will hit your city, to wondering how you’re going to cope with your new reality.

You will cope if you learn how to address the basics effectively and efficiently. Here are the 3 things you need to manage when your kids are home with you during the COVID-19 pandemic:

1. Manage your time.

Get organized.

Before you stress out over how you’re going to keep producing for work, and make the household hum during this unknown period, lock yourself away for an hour or a few to sort yourself out. Take a realistic look at your work calendar and do some time blocking. On a positive note, you’re going to save yourself some commuting time, so use it to your full advantage.

Put everything into your Gmail calendar or project management software like Trello or Asana. If it’s not in your schedule, it doesn’t exist.

You’ll need to ensure you’re meeting your working commitments. Make sure that you schedule fun time with the kids, meals, and teaching time, too.

Plan out educational activities.

Just because school is out doesn’t mean that the learning stops.

You definitely won’t want your kids glued to the TV or smartphone all day. Just as you do in the summer, get creative about how to occupy them in a way that stretches their minds as well as keeps to a schedule that they so need. Here are a few ideas:

Get out the colouring books. Your kids will stay occupied for hours, and if you join then, you’ll be reducing your stress, too.
Order some curriculum books and designate a time each day for them to self-study. This way, they’ll be practicing what they’ve learned in school, and they won’t forget their ABCs, how to measure the area of a quadrilateral, or who won the War of 1812.
Research and download some educational apps and games.
Some of the world’s museums do virtual tours so that they can see works of art and other wonders from the comfort of your couch.
Get your kids on Zoom or videoconference. Set up an exchange with other parents to allow your kids to continue to engage – as if in person. Help your parents get online also so they can talk to the grandkids and reduce their feelings of isolation at the same time.
It’s book report time! Dial-up your love of reading and let your kids experience it even more while they’re home. Ask them to pick a book and tell you about it when they’ve finished.
Teach them mindfulness. As a family, pick out what you think is the best app – my daughter and I chose Stop, Think, and Breathe. Then, set aside the same time each day to go through the exercises and notice how your resilience improves. You’ll be giving them a gift they won’t even learn at school.

Be pragmatic.

There are plenty of practical matters to consider with an entire family occupying the home night and day for an extended period. There are going to be more meals, more dishes, more toys strewn across the floor, and more cleaning – on top of the extra sanitizing you’re doing to kill every bacteria and virus going.

You can only do so much. It’s time for you as parents (and couples if you’re part of one), to rally and figure out how to manage the workload.

Better yet, engage the kids in problem-solving if they are old enough. Everyone has an opportunity to learn how to get through this rough patch and contribute. Ask Susie to create a menu for the week, Mark to read to your toddler, and your teens to pitch in daily with childminding and more challenging chores.

Not only will you be helping yourself out, but you’ll also be teaching them some essential life skills and giving them a sense of purpose and accomplishment.

2. Manage your health.

Your kids are counting on you to stay well during this protracted crisis. That means:

Maintaining the usual bedtime schedule and getting adequate sleep. Without rest, you won’t be able to function, much less succeed in juggling everything on your plate.

Staying hydrated so you can wash away any germs. Set an alarm on your phone if you need to so that every 15 minutes, you’re taking a sip. Use nasal rinses as directed by your doctor, too, to keep things flushed out, and get the humidifier going if your house is on the dry side.

Eating nutritious foods, and supplementing with missing vitamins and nutrients – especially ones that boost your immune system and your mood like vitamin D, or anything else your health care provider recommends.

Prioritizing exercise and building up your stamina. Staying fit might mean a brisk walk around the block or play with the kids in the yard. Or, it could be holding a family yoga class or a dance party in the afternoon; then everybody takes a nap!

Taking breaks so you can recharge and deal with whatever comes your way – including an angry customer or an out-of-control toddler.

3. Manage your emotions.

COVID-19 unbridled is going to test your resilience as a person and as a parent.

Letting yourself get caught up in paranoia and panic has the potential to harm your kids in the short and long-term. Gluing yourself to the “Breaking News” in-between mass shopping trips for toilet paper and vitamins isn’t demonstrating “I’ve got this!”

Kids need to know that even when the world becomes a scary place, they don’t have to be scared.

On top of the snippets of unsettling news the kids see, conversations they overhear, or gossip they exchange over social media with their friends, they are going through a significant transition being out of school. Change is change, and they, too, are out of their regular routine. It may feel like a party having a few extra weeks tacked onto Spring Break, but the reality will sink in that this is not actually a vacation.

I’m not suggesting that you bury your feelings and pretend things are perfect. It is ok for them to know that you are human, and you have worries, too. What’s most important is that kids learn that they can rise above any challenge – this challenge – and grow in the process.

Encourage your kids to express their thoughts and concerns about being out of the classroom and away from friends. Let them know they can come to you and you’ll listen with your full attention and without judgment.

Be the role model they need.

The next time you feel anxiety welling up inside you, stop. Take a minute to ground yourself by taking a few deep breaths, say some affirmations, and choose your thoughts and feelings so that you can respond to your kids’ needs in the best way possible.

If you’re struggling with getting your footing in this new work-from-home-with-the-kids scenario during arguably the most severe health crisis we’ve seen in our lifetime, get help. In many jurisdictions, medical professionals are offering phone appointments, and a qualified therapist or certified coach is an email away to help you develop strategies and be a welcome ear.

Above all, give yourself some compassion. No one has figured this out yet. But, when you apply these skills, you be much further ahead, with well-adjusted kids who appreciate everything you do.

Lisa Petsinis is a certified coach (ACC) who works with busy women who want to beat overwhelm, find their voice, and create more joy and meaning in their lives. Contact her for a free call so you can jumpstart the changes you want in your life, starting today.