By Divya Gokulnath Co- Founder – BYJU’S
The COVID-19 crisis has affected people globally and impacted their daily lives. Schools have been temporarily shut to safeguard the health of children and there is an impending feeling of confusion amongst everyone. While we understand that social-distancing measures are the need of the hour, there is no denying the fact that this has shifted the onus of creatively engaging children onto parents. As a parent myself, I understand that navigating through these strange times can be a challenge. A little planning however will help put things into clearer perspective for us parents and this will in turn help us keep our children engaged and restore balance into their daily lives. We can, in more ways than one, use this time to positively motivate ourselves and help our children do the same.
Here are 5 ways you can keep your children engaged during these times and make the most of your time at home:
- Establish a Routine:
It is important to keep children busy at home and establishing a routine will make that easier for you. Make a time table and stick to it. This will help you plan and manage what your child is doing throughout the day. It will also go a long way in instilling discipline in children, while also giving them a sense of purpose.There are multiple ways in which you can help establish a fixed schedule for your child. Exploring the digital space for study aids such as LIVE online classes will also assist you in separating ‘study time’ from ‘play time’ for your child.
- Encourage learning at home:
You can recreate a classroom setting at home and declutter your child’s study area to motivate them to learn. Exploring the digital space for educational resources will give you the power to make learning engaging through visuals, animations and games. You can experiment to see what interests your child and what holds their attention.
- Create a “no pressure” zone:
This is a great time to help your child overcome their anxiety related to learning. You can utilise this time to identify and work on the topics your child is struggling with. Unlike in school, children can learn at their own pace at home and are under no pressure to catch-up with peers.. There is no hesitation to go over concepts multiple times and no competition to be the quickest learner. If your child has a “Maths phobia” for example, you can explore various learning aids and help them face their fears.
- Encourage a new hobby:
You can help your child pick and develop a hobby. Hobbies don’t have to be conventional. Offbeat hobbies like Origami, conducting experiments at home, gardening and even DIY activities like building your own telescope are great ways to engage your child.. Hobbies aren’t just good distractions, they help develop your child’s concentration levels and make them more productive. Origami for example, helps improve working memory and hand-eye coordination. A lesser known fact is that Origami and Mathematics are very closely related and your child can learn anything from measurements to fractions using Origami.
- Do activities together:
Indulge in fun learning activities together. While this is an unexpected scenario, it is a great opportunity for us all to spend some quality time with our family. Doing tasks together can help create a healthy and loving bond between you and your child. You can indulge in different activities together, right from chores such as cooking to even doing learning activities together. Gamified learning content for example, is a great way to help your child learn and have fun at the same time. Doing these activities with your child will boost their morale, while allowing you to have some quality bonding time.
