Managing your kids at home – even when school has returned

even when school has returned! Managing your kids at home

WHILE SCHOOL MAY BE RETURNING TO ‘NORMAL’ FOR MANY, THERE ARE STILL THOSE WHO ARE STAYING HOME FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS. HERE ARE SOME GREAT GUIDELINES FROM OT MARGA GREY ON HOW TO HANDLE CONTINUED ABSENCE FROM SCHOOL AND HOME LEARNING.

These guidelines will help you develop a plan of action. Have a read and decide on how you can implement them, and communicate them to your child/ren, considering their ages and ability to understand. And be sure to use pictures, visual images and social stories where appropriate to explain them to your children: 1. School closure is not equal to a school holiday. These measures are not for the benefit of the child, but for the benefit of community and world health. 2. Routines, chores, tasks and more will be expected of the children to assist parents and the community during this troubled time. 3. Use this time to catch up on revision of schoolwork, to learn tasks of housekeeping, to support others and to contribute to the community in various ways. 4. Incorporate the daily needs of children, as follows:

LEARN:

Although many children will say they don’t want to learn, all children are eager to expand their knowledge about interesting subjects. Present interesting activities and learning experiences every day to prevent boredom and challenging behaviour. Tap into the child’s interest, e.g. if you are intrigued by space and planets, your child might not be interested at all; however, your child might be interested in monster trucks. Then use monster trucks to teach at your child’s level, e.g. you might talk about the different colours of monster trucks, you can count the number of trucks participating, you can draw a road for them, you can build a track in the mud outside, or in the older child the engine strength and why the size of the wheels matter (if you are like me with zero interest in monster trucks, use Google and You Tube and you might

be amazed to find material that interests you and your child!) • Use your child’s recent homework and expand on the subject, e.g. they might have learned about shelters. Use this to create a broad background knowledge of all kinds of shelters for humans and animals. Do the mathematics they have been doing when measuring ingredients, when doubling the ingredients of a recipe or when doing craft activities. • Ask your child’s teacher to email examples of work in the classroom and keep up the spelling, maths and specific tasks that your child finds challenging. • Read interesting books, magazines and watch documentaries. Tap into your child’s interest, e.g. horses. Find articles and simple information on the internet about horses. Encourage your child to read, watch and do a show-and-tell at the dinner table about the facts found on a given day.

ROUTINE:

Maintain a routine at home, e.g. wake the children at the time they would have been woken to attend school, have meals at the same time.

HEALTHY FOOD:

• Stay away from unhealthy ‘treats’– as said, children are not having a holiday, they are participating in a serious matter for their community and the world. • Children should participate in food preparation and serving. Making a list of ingredients, shop (online if necessary) and prepare food. Depending on the age, the child can assist the parent to prepare and to serve or the older child can plan, prepare and serve a 3-course dinner for a special family night. • Talk about healthy food, why it is essential, how it energises and creates health.

EXERCISE:

Daily exercise maintains muscle strength, fitness, and encourages self-regulation. • Hikes and walks as a family – this doesn’t just apply to families who live out in the country. If you live in the city, walk in the neighbourhood, use Google Maps and ask each child to plan a route for each day of the week. You can learn landmarks in your area or in neighbouring suburbs. • Scavenger hunts in your garden or in a group of gardens – involve your neighbours’ children, too. • Visit nature areas – there won’t be too many people and the fresh air will be great for all.

WORK:

Participation in meaningful activities and tasks are essential to create a good self-image and to feel satisfaction at the end of the day. • Participate in chores such as cleaning, laundry, gardening, baking for friends and neighbours, doing something to create a pleasant home, and a sense of belonging. • Plan and prepare meals. • Schedule cleaning chores for the family. • Plan tasks, crafts, activities to support the community. • Care for self and others in the home.

SOCIAL INTERACTION:

Children are used to interacting with friends for long hours at school, they’ll miss this interaction. Schedule time to chat, to play games, to share experiences in person (if possible) or online. • WhatsApp, Facetime, and Messenger video conversations with friends. • Online games with friends. • Organised excursions with friends. Marga Grey (MSc OT) is a paediatric occupational therapist with a keen interest in children and their families. She is CEO in charge of program developing at CoordiKids - www.CoordiKids.com Marga provides therapy at Tyack Health, a multi-disciplinary private practice in Brisbane.