Telehealth and what it can do for you….
December 1, 2020Immunisation Schedule 2021
May 22, 2021Toddlers schedule during lockdown
Being a mom to a toddler can be a time of absolute chaos. Now add a pandemic and lockdown with not much time to prepare being stuck at home. Everyone’s schedule has gotten disrupted. Parents & caregivers of children of any age are having a tough time to understand all their own emotions, now they have to manage being stuck at home and keeping everyone busy and happy.
Here’s some tips to try keep a healthy routine and make sure your toddler still gets the stimulation they require:
- Wake up, get dressed and have breakfast at the normal time.
- Have dedicated areas of work at home- this includes your own workspace so your toddlers play dough or paint don’t spill on to your laptop.
- Set dedicated times during the day for activities- this may seem very simple, but don’t get stuck in having too many activities planned for the day. Allocate different days with different types of stimulation. If your child was attending a creche contact the teacher and find out about their schedules, you can use this as a guideline for your day. Setting limits is still very important- don’t push out time for sleep, physical activity, reading and family time. Stick with normal bedtime routines as much as possible to make sure your little one gets enough sleep.
- Schedule time for nutritious snacks and get them helping out making these snacks.
- Younger children’s concentration span don’t last longer than 20 minutes. Sometimes by changing up activities this can distract them longer. Don’t get upset if they get distracted too quickly, it’s normal.
- Don’t get frustrated if your child doesn’t want to do any activities- we all have those days and sometimes emotions can make us feel overwhelmed especially being stuck at home. It can be worse for a child that doesn’t have the vocabulary. So, stay calm and just accept that today wasn’t that day and have backup plans. It’s important to not fight with them over any single thing, this can make them feel just as frustrated as you and they won’t learn how to deal with their emotions.
- Try getting the kids involved in chores around the house like vacuuming, polishing and washing the dishes. Washing up their toys can help with making sure everything is disinfected and clean.
- Worrying about too much screen time? Try not have the tv on all day and only make their devices available for certain times of the day. It can be difficult especially during lockdown and no school and you really need to attend the zoom meeting, so you give your child the iPad for an extra hour. It’s important to choose good quality content with wonderful apps that are now being available for free to get your childs imagination running.
- Use recycled goods to help with getting that imagination going- build a fort or a robot from all the wine and Takealot boxes. Use toilet paper rolls to make binoculars and origami paper plates into different animals. Now is the time to embrace your hidden Pinterest account and do some DIY crafts. It’s a great way to have some constructive bonding time.
- Use social media for connection- chat to moms from your childs playgroup and try get the kids to catch up over video calls. Sometimes a helpful call or video message from their teacher can help with some bad behaviour issues your having.
Now is the time to Stay strong Together. Don’t isolate yourself. Chat to other parents with children of similar age- you’ll soon realise you are all in the same situation and feeling exactly the same. Sometimes a different perspective can help with managing our daily struggles.