The inevitable has finally arrived. Covid-19 has plunged into our lives like a bloodthirsty demon that wants to take our lives. And who has the demon taken the hardest toll on? The children. With their innocent souls and their unbridled laughter, the children of the world do not what they have fallen into. They have been hearing terms like quarantine, coronavirus, social distancing, sanitizer, etc., which puts their little minds into a whirlpool. How can we, as adults, help our children to adapt to this ‘new normal’ and at the same time, help them feel right at home?
Should our children learn self-hygiene?
Self-hygiene is really important to everyone, be it children or adults. If it is inculcated in children at a young age itself, it will help them get used to it by the time they grow up. Especially in times like these, it will be easier for parents to teach children as they will have to accustomed to this new living style for their whole life.
Children who practice good self-hygiene are much more responsible and independent in their adult lives. When it comes to it, the kids will be much more successful in their social and professional lives than the other little ones. Although self-hygiene sounds like a trivial matter, it is not one in real-time. As a child who enjoys learning new things, if taught in an interesting way, your child too will quickly catch on to self-hygiene and follow it daily.
Are Kids scared of social distancing?
Having lived the life of chocolates and butterflies, this pandemic might come across as a nightmare to our little children. They would have enjoyed the majority of their lives having playdates, going to school, and spending time outdoors with their family. The idea of ‘social distancing’ might come across as a shock to them as they have never stayed this long indoors. Most of the parents are left wondering how will this impact their children and their social development. Psychologists are saying that children who are extroverts and love spending time with people are the ones that will be affected the most. The kids who are most likely to suffer are ones who are in their late childhood and adolescence. If you ever feel like your child has become gloomy or inactive, quickly enlist the help of professionals, if needed.
One thing that all of us have to keep in mind is that change of behavior takes time. Be it a long-term or a short-behavior, the children will take time to learn it and adjust to it. Forcing them to learn something from a short period of time will eventually prove to be harmful. Not even adults can learn new attitudes and behaviors overnight, so why would you think that children can do it? Give it some time and you will see changes that you had been expecting. It will require a bit of patience and learning, just remember it is your kid that you are training here.