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While some students were allowed to return to school in September, it was nothing like they expected. Health and safety regulations continue to limit their social interaction with their peers and teachers as they wear face masks and remain at least six feet away from others. School and extracurricular activities that they once enjoyed were canceled to protect them against the virus. Though these changes to in-person instruction were necessary, it’s left many students feeling bored and disengaged.
As much as you’d like to fix things for your children, there’s nothing you can do to return things to “normal”. Parents are, therefore, advised to try and find ways to keep their kids entertained and engaged amid the pandemic. Here are some solutions you might find useful.
Safe Outings
Gathering in large crowds and spending too much time indoors with people that live outside your home isn’t ideal in the middle of a pandemic. Be that as it may, there are ways to allow your kids to hang with their friends safely. If the weather is decent, the kids can meet their friends at a nearby park, have a bite to eat, and hang out for a little while. You could plan a trip to the beach, an amusement park, or a community event hosted outdoors. If all parents agree, you could allow your kid to invite one of their closest friends over for a few hours. Just be sure that they spend most of their time in a well-ventilated space with face masks.
Video Hangouts
Although not the same as hanging with your friends in person, virtual hangouts have become a popular trend. Allowing your children to chat with their friends, play games, and indulge in other activities enables them to get the social connection they’re missing. Some parents have hosted virtual sleepovers, watch parties, bakeoffs, dances, and more to allow their children to catch up with their friends.
Online Lessons
Many students report that they’re having a hard time academically since the start of the pandemic. If this is the case for your child, perhaps investing in online tutoring lessons would be ideal. There are several experienced adults online that can enhance your child’s comprehension of the curriculum they’re learning this year. Try to hire someone knowledgeable but also creative to make learning fun and interactive.
Invest in Hobbies
Your teenaged son may not have been able to play basketball in school this year, but that doesn’t mean you can’t install a hoop, purchase a ball, and indulge in a few one-on-one rounds with him to lift his spirits. Your daughter might be upset that there won’t be a holiday concert this year, but you could purchase a guitar and guitar accessories and hire an online instructor to help hone her craft.
Unfortunately, the pandemic has resulted in the cancellation of activities that your children loved. You can boost their mood by finding ways for them to participate in those activities safely. Talk to your kids to learn about their hobbies or interests and then research to discover ways to support those interests.
Family Time
Though working from home and completing household chores keeps you busy, try to find a way to fit family time into your routine. Whether it’s one night every week or an hour every day, it will mean a lot to your children. You can prepare meals together, play games, watch television, have a movie night, camp in your backyard, do arts and crafts, and so much more. While your kids will never admit it, spending quality time with you brightens their day.
Children may not be at the greatest risk of contracting the coronavirus, but their lives have certainly been impacted by it. Though school has restarted, many students still feel lonely, out of touch, and disconnected from their friends, teachers, and their studies. You can make this transition more manageable for them by finding ways like those listed above to ease the mental, emotional, social, and academic pressure your kids are experiencing.