12 Tips for Parents with Children during Coronavirus Outbreak

The Coronavirus outbreak has affected people across the country and the whole world in many ways. There are millions of people who are struggling with unemployment, working remotely / from home. About 25.5 million students have to study in an online school setting for the first time…

Whether you are a parent trying to adapt to online learning with your children for the first time, staying at home 24 hours a day with your young children, or keeping up with your work from home while dealing with your children's education we share 12 tips to make your interactions with the screen more productive in the home environment.

1. Video chats

If you can't share the same house with your children, you can try video chat with them. When you make video calls, you can play a variety of games with them. You can sing rhymes, songs, dance, and play finger games.

2. Make them share their screen time with you

There may be a variety of videos that your children watch during the screen time allocated for them. We may not be able to sit and watch all the videos with them. Parents may ask their children to share what they are watching with them. So, you may have had the perfect opportunity to interact with them.

3. It is better to repeat

After a while you may feel your days return to routine with the same repetitions. For example, your children can sometimes watch a video or a song over and over again during the day. If these repetitions cause your child to understand the content better, it is no problem at all. Children learn more every time they listen to a song or read a book. This also applies to digital media. 

4. Don't feel guilty

When you have to work from home, you may feel pressure to plan all your children's time. Everyone knows that during this period you are both working and doing your best to manage a range of issues. Your children may be in contact with the screen for more time during this period than you would normally allow. Please don't feel guilty about this. There are great educational resources suitable for all ages that you can reach through the screen. By accessing these resources you can make the most of them.

5. Define new tasks and roles

For most people, it may take some time to get used to the new situation they're experiencing right now. We can identify new role distributions for our children and ourselves about our roles at home. Adapting to that can be a bit difficult in the first place. But the ability of children to adapt to the situation is higher than the adults.

6. Being bored is not a bad thing.

Being bored is actually not a bad thing for us and our children, but rather beneficial. Lately we've all been bombarded with entertainment and constant stimuli. These days will be an opportunity for us and our children to explore thoughts, dreams and skills.

7. Explore alternatives for the right interaction

We can't say the screen is completely bad. What matters is how we and our children use the screens. Screens can take us and our children to a zoo, guide us through the world's great museums, if we want to. You can explore active, engaging, meaningful, fun and socially interactive choices for yourself or for your children.

8. Stay in touch with your friends/loved ones

Social distance will bring gaps in your life. Various activities you plan can help you close these gaps.

You can encourage your kids to video chat with their friends. You can recommend reading books together, playing with the same toys, or using accessories such as puppets/stuffed animals to interact with each other.

Even eating the same snacks at the same time can help your child feel more connected to their loved ones/friends.

9. One age group doesn't fit another

There are developmental differences between children of different ages. There will be differences between the homeschooling of a kindergarten child and the homeschooling of a seventh-grade child.

Children in younger children need more guidance and help with the use of technology, while older children can set their own goals with advice from you.

10. Don't forget to carry home activities at school

Prepare a basic schedule for things like good meals, personal care, school and screen time for your children as much as possible. Create a weekly schedule and put a variety of activities in it.

For example, in schools, certain concept days (slumber day, party, celebration etc.) are arranged to make children excited about learning. You can use the same things to keep your children busy at home.

11. You play too

The days we stay at home are the perfect opportunity for parents to reconnect with their children through different activities and games. We're not supposed to forget how we can have fun with them.

Board games, legos, painting, word games, doing new dance moves, playing theater together and recording them on video, etc.

12. You transfer emotions and contacts

In these days when we keep social distance, children lack the social interaction they need to grow up. The toddler, for example, will not be around his aunt, uncle or other loved ones, where a new child will walk towards him with their hands open.

To maintain the tactile connections between grandparents, other loved ones and our children, experts recommend using their hands like a heart during video chat. For example, if a grandfather shows his grandson tickling his hands during a video call, it is necessary to transfer the touch by tickling the belly of a person who is next to our child.

Compiled by specialist Melek Çil