You are stuck at home doing your work, kiddos school work, cooking, cleaning, and repeating the cycle every day. This can be overwhelming and mentally exhausting as we all transition to a new ‘normal’. This time is uncertain and there are many factors that we cannot control. However, we do have the ability to look at this situation through a different lens.
For a second, let’s pretend this was a play therapy session and we were doing imaginative play. We have cool virtual lens glasses and we see the whole entire world in panic in one lens and then in another lens we see families that are stuck in their homes learning to adapt to the new normal in a positive way that allows them to communicate better, participate in activities they often do not have time to do, love more, and discover new aspects of each other. Can you imagine that?
Children thrive when they have access to their imagination. They grow and naturally emit those happy feelings or neurotransmitters. Walk with me here; if there was a snow storm outside and your family had to stay in the house until all the roads were clear but you had power and enough food for the week. What would that look like? Well, we know that if we look at outside here in the mid Spring there is NO snow but you get where I am going here. In those difficult times you and your kiddos can use your imagination to help the situation and make this new normal more fun and somewhat less stressful. Look through your new normal lens! NOW is the best time to reconnect with your family. We will walk you through some ideas for using this quarantine to your advantage and how to reconnect with your family. Here are some helpful tips on top of my imaginative point of view that will help your family in this time:
Rebuild Structure
The first step we recommend is to rebuild structure in your home. School was the largest part of your child’s day. Now that school has transitioned to online, they no longer have that definitive schedule. The novelty of online education has probably started to wear off and they are losing interest in their schoolwork. Creating a schedule for your child’s day can help to reengage them. If you are having trouble keeping them focused, try breaking up schoolwork with preferred activities. Let your child have input in creating the schedule. They can choose the activities that they want to do as a break in between schoolwork. Working together will give them a feeling of control and they may be more invested to following the schedule.
Stay Connected
Next, we recommend planning an activity for the family. This doesn’t have to be an extravagant outing, just something that you all can do together. Below are some ideas to connect with your family while quarantined:
- Playing games together
Board games, card games, video games, etc.
- Be creative
Drawing, painting, household DIY projects, etc.
- Movie night
Make popcorn and pick a movie, or Netflix!
- Cook together
Make breakfast or dinner, or bake cookies, etc.
- Get outside!
Play outdoor games, go for a walk, anything to get your outside and together!
Remember to have some compassion. This situation is new and stressful for everyone. Practice some coping skills when you start to feel overwhelmed. To keep a positive outlook during this stressful time, here are some questions to answer throughout the day!
- What am I grateful for today?
- Who am I checking in on or connecting with today?
- How am I getting outside today?
- How am I moving my body today?
- What nourishing foods am I eating today?
- What beauty am I either creating, cultivating or inviting today?
Love more!! Have you ever wondered how to connect with your children on a love level?Understanding how your child receives love during this time is very important. You may even want to know more about your partner’s love language. I think this is a great time to take Dr. Gary Chapman’s Love Language Quiz. Learn more about love language here: https://www.5lovelanguages.com
- Reassure your child they are safe
- Provide them with their appropriate love language
- Spend time with yourself to be able to best show up for your family
- Better understand your partner’s love language to support them
- Practice using positive praise to reassure your family of times that are doing well
- Love more!!
What will your new normal look like for your family? Need help setting this up?