When I think about the situation, I only worry about my kids. However, they're really amazing. They easily adapt to things and I'm grateful that they don't complain about staying at home and doing routine activities.
The things we could make our kids do to keep their stay-at-home progressive is a constant topic between us at night. So far, I think we're successful. That's why I thought of writing about our activities here to give you ideas on what other activities you could make your child do at home.
Make a Schedule
We help our kids set their daily schedule and post in on their walls just to set what we expect them to do every morning. We told them that we don't want to hear them complain that they can't do anything because there are a lot of things we can do at home. That list is their guide when me and my husband are busy with our own thing.
Increase Typing Speed
When my kids' school announced that they'll be doing the online classes for the entire year, I was worried that they might not be able to catch up well because we don't allow our kids to use gadgets and computers that much. We started by letting them add a 1-hour typing practice to their daily routine. We use Typing.com. I like that it's free, interactive, has games and quizzes that my kids enjoy. My kids type fast now. Even my 6-year-old girl can type fast with two hands. She's now very ready for Grade 1.
Music For Kids
Since my husband loves music, we took this opportunity so our kids can learn an instrument that they'll enjoy doing. For my 11 yo, we discovered that he likes playing bass. He only guided him for the first few lessons. Now, he's practicing on his own. Our only problem was our little girl. Since I don't know how to play any instrument, we downloaded Simply Piano. In just two months, she's able to classical music already. We imposed an hour a day practice to keep them busy. Of course, I still prefer a one-on-one teacher. But, at this time of pandemic, this is the best and safer option for us.
Art for Kids
My daughter loves to draw, paint, and color. I had no problem including this in her routine because she always grabs a pencil to draw whenever she's not doing anything. I studied how to paint properly so I could help her enhance her skill and love for art. Art is not limited to drawing and painting only. We explore other areas like origami, digital drawing, cloth folding, cutting, and making something out of the things we're going to throw away. As for my son, he's not interested in drawing or painting. I've tried to convince him, but he likes playing with his legos more. He's more inclined to learn how to edit photos using GIMP. What I do for now is give him small editing tasks which he has to finish in a certain time. We figured that he needs this skill so he could do his asynchronous activities in school all by himself next school year.
House Chores
Giving kids responsibilities at home makes them more responsible human beings. It's also an important skill we could teach our kids. My 11-year-old does the dishes and sweeps the floor every morning. While my little girl sets the table before eating, wipes our walls and door knobs, and fixes our bed in the morning. You'll be happy to see them so proud to show you what they've accomplished. Of course, there are days when they don't feel like doing it. We just explain to them that they should do their responsibilities and compare what they're doing to a real job. They get rewards if they do their jobs properly too.
Games
I know this is something that some parents may not agree. We allow our kids to have gadget time 2 hours a day (1 hour in the afternoon and at night time). Since they can't play with their friends right now, we want them to socialize a little. It's a great way to interact with their friends and cousins while playing in a virtual world. We also impose a family game night when we don't feel like watching tv at night. Games like Spot It, Uno Stacko, Sleeping Queens, Monopoly Deal and Exploding Kittens are the ones that we enjoy doing as a family. It's fun and interactive.
Daily Exercise
We're lucky to have a condo with a roofdeck. We go up so early in the morning to get our daily dose of Vitamin D and to sweat a little. We recognize the importance of letting the kids run in a bigger space and be active. We take this moment as a gadget break too.
No matter how difficult this time is, it's how we look at things and make the most out of the things and time we have right now. We used to see our kids only after work or after school, but now we are with them 24/7. We get to know each other more and we're able to guide them thoroughly. We treat this as a blessing in our family. Of course, we want everything to be back to normal. However, the family time that we have right now is irreplaceable too.
No comments:
Post a Comment