Don’t panic! Take responsibility.
• Have an honest conversation with your children about why they are at home and cannot go to school or out to places as they usually go to
• Ask them what they know about the coronavirus, how they feel about it and why
• Explain the seriousness of the disease to them
• Explain how the disease is spread to them
• Reassure and teach them how to protect themselves
• Practice what you teach them; model the behaviours you want them to learn
Empower your children to safeguard themselves from the virus
Teach them how to protect themselves against the disease by doing the following:
• Wash their hands regularly with soap under running water for 20 seconds (practice with them)
• Maintain physical distance outdoors of at least 2 meters always to prevent the spread of the virus
• Cough or sneeze into a tissue and throw away or into their bent elbow when they cannot find a tissue.
• Avoid touching their mouth, nose and ears with unwashed hands.
• Avoid going out to play with friends for now
• Avoid visiting neighbours
• Stay away from large crowd
• Avoid touching, handshakes, hugging or kissing anyone
• Teach them fun new ways to greet people from a distance if they have to. Tips to keep children engaged while at home
• Create a flexible but consistent daily routine for them
• Give them age appropriate responsibilities at home
• Help them stay connected with friends and loved ones through phone calls, SMS, and social media platforms
• Make physical exercise with them part of the daily routine
• Encourage them to read books
• Listen to music, sing and dance with the children
• Encourage their creativity (writing, painting, drawing etc)
• Ensure they get enough rest (observe their regular sleeping routine)
• Help them with their schoolwork, but ensure they also work independently
• Play indoor games together as a family (Ayo, Ludo, WHOT, PlayStation)
• Do chores together (cleaning, washing etc)
• Teach them age-appropriate skills (cooking, sewing, photography, drawing, video editing, fixing broken things in the house)
• Plan daily meals together with children
• Take early morning strolls within your community alone
Self-help for parents
Staying at home with children at this time can be overwhelming, a few tips on how to manage the stress are:
• Take a break (rest as much as you can, get enough sleep)
• Practice self-care, take care of your mind
• Talk about your concerns – anxiety at this time is normal
• Get enough sleep (at least 8 hours a night)
• Maintain your spirituality (if you are religious)
• Stay connected with friends and family
• Make physical exercise part of your daily routine
• Try to include fruits and vegetables in your daily diet.
• Try new recipes with your family
• Focus on the things that you can control.
