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The COVID-19 pandemic has put a lot of pressure on families. Children are learning in new settings and using new tools while adults learn to do their jobs from home. Many of us are also carrying new roles; if your job went away but your spouse is still working, you may be managing the household and helping your children complete their schoolwork.
Stick to a Routine
To alleviate the stress of all this change, stick to a routine and schedule. Start with meals, so everyone knows when they will eat. Once the meal structure is in place, you can arrange
- work schedules
- exercise
- bathing
for the household. Make sure to include some fun in your routine. Always have some music ready to go for fifteen to twenty minutes to get everyone up and moving.
Learn A New Activity Together
If everyone is home together all the time, take this time to teach small children new tasks and projects. For example, preschoolers can learn to color. They can transfer these skills and sort laundry by color. Older children can empty the dishwasher and set the table. They can also learn to prepare sandwiches, pour drinks and put chips on a plate.
Adolescents and teenagers can be given bigger or more complicated tasks and be held responsible for these tasks. Of course, there may be some pushback. However, if parents can couch this training as a way to prepare for their own homes, these chores can become stepping stones to enjoying an orderly life on their own.
Focus on Positive News
It doesn’t take much effort to find new events to worry about and stress over. If all the news coming into your home is telling you what is scary, then being stressed and scared will become your norm. Turn off the news that focuses on the negative. If there’s a particular issue that has you worried, read up on that topic. Try to keep the news that your whole family absorbs on the positive side. It will make a world of difference in the mindset of your whole household.
Get a New Perspective
When you’re dealing with a lot of worries, it’s easy to get stuck. With some help from Bay Area Indian Therapy, you may be able to gain a new perspective on challenges that have you pinned down. Even better, you can take care of these sessions online or over the phone and get through the issue quickly.
For example, controversies between adults can turn small items into walls that are hard to see over. Silly disagreements over laundry and housework can turn into the basis for long-term resentment, and resentments are corrosive. If you feel resentment building up and you can’t get past them, get some help.
Celebrate Small Wins
When a child or an adult learns a new skill, celebrate! If your 4th grader prepares sandwiches for everyone, get out the good dishes. If you’re getting out on your bicycles and your smallest child puts on their helmet on their own, use a lot of praise to reinforce this wonderful behavior. Try to create adventures in your daily activities. If you’re going for a walk, pack a snack and some water bottles. Get out all of the bicycles or invest in a tandem bike so everyone can go for a ride.
Go Exploring In Your Own Space
There are many small tools that you can use to turn your own yard and neighborhood into an adventure. Children will love a pair of binoculars that will allow them to study local wildlife. A magnifying glass can make a flower, a bug or a butterfly an amazing sight.
Adults can also find their own adventures. The decluttering movement has many people getting rid of items that no longer serve. If you’re not interested in decluttering, study your own possessions and look for ways to repurpose what you have. Turn an old trunk into a window seat by making a cushion with the sewing machine you bought with high hopes but haven’t used in a year. Inventory your garage tools and fix a few items around the house to hone your skills. Dig into your space to find satisfaction in small joys.
