Helping Our Children Transition from the Pandemic
By: Kay Ezekiel Ravago, OTRP, LPT
The development of children has always been holistic. Never has it become more pronounced, than in mitigating the effects of the lock down. The early childhood and primary years have always been pivotal in the development of our children. Through experiences, opportunities to try something new, and enjoying varied sensations (movement, touch, balance, and the like) the children’s brain becomes a powerful bank of learning and development.
We already know how the past years concretely affected children. Loss of these opportunities means less feedback on the child’s developing brain and body.
Now that we are in transitioning from the lock down, we see a window of possibilities. How can we help our children in this transition? As a parent, this is something I would also advise myself.
- LET THE SUNSHINE IN. “Let there be light.” Exposure to sunlight is not just a “Vitamin D” Science lesson. Exposure to the sun is also good for their eye sight. Given that many children were/are exposed to gadgets and television (and may exceed recommended time), few minutes with the morning sun is recommended. Sunlight (and Vitamin D) may also be helpful not just for our bones, but also in alleviating our mood, and make us feel better.
- I LIKE TO MOVE IT.
Let us provide opportunities for movement. For this I would recommend two kinds—(a) gross body movements (arms, legs like walking, running, jumping, biking and sports like different ball games and swimming) (b) fine movements of hands and fingers—(drawing, coloring, writing, painting and the like). - NO MAN IS AN ISLAND. Find opportunities for children to socialize. This is one of the reasons why (with safety in consideration) we opt for face to face classes for my three kids. Even if there are online socialization activities, an avenue for face to face interaction is still recommended. It can be play dates with family members or neighbors, or involvement in church group activities, or joining group pursuits like group sports and the like. Social skills is a BIG UMBRELLA of skills, not just the ability to make friends (although this is one important goal). These skills also include listening and eliciting proper response, appropriate play behaviors and skills (esp. for younger kids), working productively in a group, appropriate response to adults and peers, working collaboratively with peers, and the like.
- BE INTENTIONAL. As with different areas in life, being intentional with one’s goals and aspirations is important in crafting the steps towards its success. An analogy that I like best is comparing it with a school setting. In school, we have different learning academic goals (for different subjects in the class). Teachers would craft lesson plans , methodology and assessments to ensure academic goals are met. Going back to the home setting, goals like increasing independence and improving discipline would require intentional and concrete moves on the side of the parents. My favorite examples are (a) setting a structure and routine on the children’s everyday schedule (b) assigning age appropriate chores and (c) letting the children learn from the natural consequences of their actions. Meanwhile, as parents we have more challenging tasks, such as (a) being good role models – our actions and words should match what we teach to our children (b)continue learning- may it be through parenting books , forums or the like, or areas of improvement in our actual parenting routine.
- KEEP THE FAITH. Last but definitely NOT the least, is involving the true source of faith, hope and love, that is God. One of the most powerful lessons of the pandemic is holding on to our faith, and upholding the importance of having a strong spirituality in our family. In our household, we have established a regular family prayer time, and my kids learned the immeasurable importance of God and prayers in their lives, something that my husband and I aspire they would keep until they grow older. One of my favorite verses in the bible is the one from Proverbs 3:5 “ Trust in the LORD will all your heart and lean not on your own understanding”. The pandemic truly allowed us to show how trustworthy we are to God, as we embark on the different challenges brought by this incident.
Let us provide opportunities for movement. For this I would recommend two kinds—(a) gross body movements (arms, legs like walking, running, jumping, biking and sports like different ball games and swimming) (b) fine movements of hands and fingers—(drawing, coloring, writing, painting and the like).
BE INTENTIONAL. As with different areas in life, being intentional with one’s goals and aspirations is important in crafting the steps towards its success. An analogy that I like best is comparing it with a school setting. In school, we have different learning academic goals (for different subjects in the class). Teachers would craft lesson plans , methodology and assessments to ensure academic goals are met. Going back to the home setting, goals like increasing independence and improving discipline would require intentional and concrete moves on the side of the parents. My favorite examples are (a) setting a structure and routine on the children’s everyday schedule (b) assigning age appropriate chores and (c) letting the children learn from the natural consequences of their actions. Meanwhile, as parents we have more challenging tasks, such as (a) being good role models – our actions and words should match what we teach to our children (b)continue learning- may it be through parenting books , forums or the like, or areas of improvement in our actual parenting routine.
KEEP THE FAITH. Last but definitely NOT the least, is involving the true source of faith, hope and love, that is God. One of the most powerful lessons of the pandemic is holding on to our faith, and upholding the importance of having a strong spirituality in our family. In our household, we have established a regular family prayer time, and my kids learned the immeasurable importance of God and prayers in their lives, something that my husband and I aspire they would keep until they grow older. One of my favorite verses in the bible is the one from Proverbs 3:5 “ Trust in the LORD will all your heart and lean not on your own understanding”. The pandemic truly allowed us to show how trustworthy we are to God, as we embark on the different challenges brought by this incident.
