COVID-19 Tips

Working From Home

During this time many are working from home and taking care of their children at the same time. This can be extremely difficult and stressful. Below are a few tips that may make this challenge a little easier.

  • · Set up a routine! Children do best when they know what to expect.

  • · Let your children know that you need to work and can’t be interrupted unless there is an emergency and explain what makes something an emergency.

  • · Plan to work in short durations. For example, work for half an hour and then give your child 5 minutes of time. Let them know that during those 5 minutes they can show you anything they want.

  • · In the 5-minute breaks encourage your child to make noise and shake out their sillies. You can have a dance party or a movement break for everyone.

  • · Before you start working ask your child if they need anything because you are going to be working for the next 30 minutes.

  • · Make sure your child has food and a drink they can get for themselves while you are working.

  • · If your child is school age and working on schoolwork let them know if they get stuck, they can skip that problem or move onto another assessment. If they finish have something out that they can do, like an art project or let them know they can turn the tv on.

  • · For younger kids put out different toys where they can reach them.

  • · Set up some kind of visual cue so your children know when they can’t interrupt you. For example, make a stop sign and place it on your door or the back of your laptop so your children see it when they start to approach you. Practice with the visual cue ahead of time! When your children are talking to you hold up your stop sign and let them know to stop talking, then put it down and up again. Practicing will make it a fun game and help them understand.

  • · Take out and hide noisy toys!

Lastly, remember this isn’t forever!

Safe Things To Do At Home While Social Distancing

For all

  • Create a routine!

  • Color

  • Read

  • Watch online stories. Many authors are reading books online for kids

  • Look up zoo’s, many are doing videos telling about each animal

  • Look for kids songs on YouTube and sing along

  • Go outside

Babies

  • Take your baby for a walk and talk to them about all the things you see

  • Bring a bouncy seat or exosaucer outside and put baby next to you while you garden and talk about what you are doing

  • Place a blanket on the grass and lay baby on their tummy

  • Read to your baby

Toddlers

  • Play outside

    • Look for rocks

    • Set up an obstacle course

    • Sidewalk chalk

      • Let kids color on the driveway

      • Write letters or draw shapes and have kids jump on the one you say

      • Trace your child and let them draw clothes on themselves

    • Time your child while they run from one point to the next. Then encourage them to try again and see if they can beat their time

  • Start a toy rotation. Only bring out a few toys and trade out for different toys every few days

  • Have your child help build a fort and then have lunch in the fort

  • Sensory bins with rice, water, sand, or dirt

  • Give your child a pot and wooden spoon and let them play music

  • Cook with your children. They can help count and pour things.

  • Let them paint. Put your child in the bathtub in just a diaper with no water and let them paint. When they are done painting just wash them and the tub, easy cleanup.

Preschoolers

  • Go on a color hunt around the house. Have your child find 2 red items, 1 orange idem and so on.

  • Write letters on paper and place them on the floor and have your child find the letter you call out

  • Make patterns using your child’s toys and see if they can finish your pattern. For example, doll, train, doll, train, doll and see if they know train comes next.

  • Give your child a box and tell them it can be a car, a spaceship, or a house. Let them color the box any way they like.

  • Make an obstacle course and have your child do under things, over things, around things, and on things.

  • Read books

  • Let your child make their own book. Staple paper together and let them color each page

  • Sensory bin with rice, water, sand or dirt. Then give them measuring cups and have them figure out how many ¼ cups you need to fill the 1 cup.

  • Give your child a pot and spoon and give yourself one too. See if your child can copy you, bang twice and stop and then bang once. See if your child can do the same thing. Then copy what they do.

  • Cook with your children. They can help count and pour things.

  • Set up an office for your child. Put out crayons, paper, markers and glue and let them be creative.

Sites with more info

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