5 Tips for Parents

In COVID-19 time, we are spending more time together as a family than ever before, which is both positive and challenging at the same time. Parents may worry about our children falling behind in their studies, about elderly or sick family members or how to compensate loss of income. Feeling safe and encouraged at home will be important for children to cope in these complex times. Here are some tips for parents to support their children in their learning while being at home.

1. Establish a daily routine, together with all family members: It helps to have clear tasks to complete by the end of the day, both for parents and their children. Depending on children’s age, parents may want to set children’s studying time, the same as core working hour as to be able focus on work without or with less disturbance and distraction from your children. If possible, divide responsibilities to support children’s learning amongst parents and older siblings. Daily routine should balance time for studying, play (off screen time) and helping out with core household chores. In many families, it may still be mothers who are doing the most of household chores but it should be everyone’s to have a clean house and healthy meals.
2. Engage in the learning of your child: Ask your child what they are studying, how they think it is going and whether you can help. Go with them through their homework and try to find answers to questions together. Consult with their teacher and encourage children to check in with their school mates on a regular basis. Don’t stress your child or yourself if you are not able to keep up – they will be able to catch up! Encourage them to learn something new and to read and write – so they won’t lose these basic skills.
3. Communicate with your children and other family members: being all together in confinement for a longer period may contribute to tensions between family members. Through having continuous and honest conversation amongst each other, you will be able to understand each other’s feeling and thoughts and solve the problems as peaceful as possible.
4. Use positive discipline and feedback: Compliment and praise your children’s achievements whether these are small or big. It is ok to have an off day, but it is important to reassure children that things will be better, and they don’t need to worry.
5. Create alone time for you and for each of the family members: We all need a time-out from time to time. Alone moments can be created by taking a bath, go for a walk, listen to music with headsets on or call a friend or family member outside the home.

External resources:

• What Parents should know about COVID-19
• Tips for Parents during COVID-19 Outbreak: UNICEF | WHO | IRC | Upworthy
• Caring for preschoolers at home
• Effective Communication about COVID-19 with children
• Tips to help comfort and protect children
• Helping Children Cope with Changes Resulting from COVID-19
• Psycho-Social Well-being of Learners
• Guide to preventing and addressing social stigma
• Approaching the COVID-19 Crisis through Gender Lenses
• Keeping children learning at home
• Motivating children during remote learning
• Supporting children learning at home
• Learning at home: Reading
• Indoor Activities Kit
• How to self-care: Sesame street | Child Mind Institute
• Coping with Stress during COVID-19
• Managing uncertainty: Embracing a “For-Now Normal”
• “For-Now” Routines