Kaboutjie SA Mommy Blogs by Lynne Huysamen
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we live our lives. The danger that the Coronavirus poses is a real threat. While it is your job to keep your kids safe, it is also important that you let them live their lives. You can’t hide them under a rock until the threat has passed. Instead, you need to help them adapt to the “new normal” and find ways to raise them safely during the pandemic. Here are key tips for raising your kids in the new normal.
Teach Them Proper Hygiene
The main mode of transmission for the Coronavirus is through body fluids. If an infected individual sneezes or spits on a surface, the said surface will be infected as well. This is the biggest danger for kids because they usually grab anything close to hand. This is why you should teach them proper hygiene. Make it a habit for them to wash their hands as frequently as possible. It should be ingrained into their minds that they should wash their hand frequently.
When you travel, you should also have them bring their own hygiene kit. It should contain key personal hygiene products such as hand sanitizers, wet wipes, gloves, and face masks. That way they will be prepared for any eventuality. By teaching them proper hygiene from a young age, you can make them more responsible and proactive in the long run.
Show Them The Importance Of Social Distancing
One of the saddest things about the pandemic is that we are forced to practice social distancing. This can be difficult for a parent to explain because kids want to be with their friends. They want to wrestle in the mud, they want to play tag and have fun. And it can be hard for them to understand why they need to stay 6 feet away from their friends. But as heartbreaking as this may be, you will need to make your kids understand. Show them that you are doing this for their safety. Tell them that by following these rules, they are also keeping their friends safe. As young as they are, kids can understand these basic concepts and will usually follow rules as long as you explain it to them well enough.
Stock Up On Key Supplies For The Future
One of the biggest concerns that parents have during the pandemic is stocking up on supplies. Raising a child takes a lot of resources. You need to have an ample supply of food for their nutrition. You also need products such as hand sanitizers and face masks to use on a daily basis.
But don’t worry, as annoying as shortages are, there are ways to overcome them. When it comes to food, you can buy canned goods in bulk and then stock them up for emergencies. It is also important that you don’t buy to excess. This is hoarding, and it may lead to shortages. The same can be said for key items such as diapers, baby powder, baby formula, etc.
Aside from stocking up on groceries, another way you can prepare for the new normal is to find ways to renew your supply. For example, you have a backyard perfect for growing vegetables. So why not grow your own vegetable and fruit garden? Not only will you be able to provide fresh produce for your family, you will also cut out the need to go to the grocery stores. The same goes for key hygiene products such as hand sanitizers. In the early months of the pandemic, hand sanitizers were extremely rare because some people bought them out and sold them for a profit. Because of this, there was a shortage of hand sanitizers in the market. This is why you need a way to renew your hand sanitizer supply. Luckily there is a myriad of vacuum emulsifying mixers on the market that are being sold for reasonable prices. By buying your very own unit, you will always have a steady supply for your family.
A Balanced Diet Is Key
A balanced diet is key when it comes to fighting off the Coronavirus. By having a balanced diet, your child’s immune system will be a lot stronger and become a great defense against any disease. When you make meals, make sure to be as diverse as possible. Don’t just limit your child’s nutritional intake to what they like. Make them eat vegetables and fruits and limit their sugar content. Your meal plans should have the right amount of carbs, protein, fiber, and a lot of vitamins. It may be tempting to take the easy road and let your kids eat chicken and fries every day. But if you want your kid to have the right nutrition, a balanced diet is a must.
Conclusion
The COVID-19 crisis is a real threat, however, it should never stop you from living your life. Your children should still be able to have fun and reach their full potentials. As a parent, you should teach your kids to be aware of the dangers, but not be hampered by them. With these key tips, you can now confidently raise your kids in the new normal.
Thank you.. With The assistance of these key tips, I can now confidently raise my kids in the new normal.
I’m so glad that you found these pointers helpful Shameera – it is certainly crazy times isn’t it?
These are really great pointers and this helps a lot of new parents into bringing up their kids according to this generation. I hope every parent takes the time to read this
It is a trying time for everyone Vinessa – I’m just grateful that my kids appear to have adapted really well so far.
EVERY-BODY needs to stand together in the fight against Covid19! We MUST all follow the designated guidelines, in order to support each other with this venture.
You are so right Quentin, when some people don’t follow the guidelines it can cause so much chaos. This coronavirus spreads so fast and it is creating a wake of devastation and chaos as it spreads. The only way to keep as many people safe as possible is if we all stand together and follow the guidelines!
We are staying home as much as possible, our only outings are for my kids to go to school every second day (they split the school up into groups so that less kids are at school at a time) and I go to the shops for essentials!
Loved this blog post. Interesting enlightening and the advice is much needed during this pandemic. Sharing this with my family and friends. Thank you.
Our children are our country’s future. In order to secure their futures, we all need to keep this in their priorities, to live “clean”!
Very much so Quentin – we need to ensure that we make the changes needed for our children’s furutres!
I love this blog because it gives us more information and great tips as parents
I’m so glad you are enjoying my blog Amanda 🙂
Thank you for the tips. They’ll surely come in handy for helping to prep my 3 year old.
Oh it is so sad for the younger kids, I hope your 3 year is adjusting ok. My two are adapting ok, they are 6 and 8 years old. It is amazing how quickly they have understood what is happening and follow the guidelines given to them!
She is used to wearing her mask and understands the giant germs that are out there and why we need to be safe so I think she’ll adapt to the new normal just fine.
She misses her friends SO much.
Being a nursery school teacher myself, I don’t know how we are going to social distance the kids.
Like we were always teaching them to share and now we have to teach them not to ?
I love this!!!
It is very sad that we have to raise our kids in these circumstances, but they adapt so incredibly quickly!*
We have to go on with life and we can’t stop everyone and everything around us. Following guidelines and simple hygiene is all we can do.
Yes for sure Natasha, we can’t hide forever since this virus will be around for a long time to come! The only thing we can do is change our behaviour to protect ourselves and our loved ones.
She is used to wearing her mask and understands the giant germs that are out there and why we need to be safe so I think she’ll adapt to the new normal just fine.
She misses her friends SO much.
Being a nursery school teacher myself, I don’t know how we are going to social distance the kids.
Like we were always teaching them to share and now we have to teach them not to ?
I’m sure it is going to be quite hard to do this at nursery school and yes we teach them all one thing and now we have to tell them that it has all changed. Honestly though I think the kids are understanding better than I thought they would and they are doing all the right things. My kids also miss their friends big time and even though they are going to school they can’t hug or hold hands like they used to.
During this difficult time, us as parents “homeschooling” and preparing for the new normal life style with the kids and working is not easy. But having good tips and advice makes it so much easier! Thank you Lynne. It really helps a lot. ♥️ I have a very eager 5 year old daughter, but she very understanding about what’s happening around us. ???
I could not agree with you more Mercia – things are just crazy right now! My kids are at school every second day as they have split the school into groups so that all the grades can return and still have less kids in the school at a time so that social distancing is easier.
As a work from home mother it does make it easier that the kids are at school some days plus the teachers prepare the kids for the work they need to do the next day at home. However having one day at home and one day at school makes having a routine kinda hard. It always feels so disjointed and confusing!
My kids have also adjusted really well considering and they understand very well what is going on – they are 6 years old and 8 years old.
This has been especially hard on my 4 year old. I homeschool both of my children so luckily I didn’t have to make any adjustments with regards to schooling but, being home all day every day has been hard on her. She just wants to go visit a friend or go see some animals, with some restrictions being lifted, I can finally take her to a petting zoo, one little outing will make the world of differece.
It does make a massive difference being able to go for an outing. When Ramaphosa announced the schools were closing I knew that a harsh lockdown was on the way, I immediately packed bags for my kids and myself and left the next morning to go to my parent’s farm. We stayed there for levels 5 and 4. It was hard being away from home for 12 weeks but lockdown is not so bad when you have 350 hectares to yourself. We’ve been home since the beginning of June and while we don’t get out much for entertainment we do go for regular walks and we go to the nursery which has animals and a jungle gym so that they can play a big outside!
This will really assist Thank you…because the kids do understand but not like adults they are going through the most.
I completely agree with you Thelma – our kids are feeling it the hardest!
I also agree. These little ones want to play with their friends. I can’t wait for lockdown to end… I think we all need a break in this “break”?
Yes for sure we need a break from this lockdown Natasha!
I feel so scared now that the kids have to go back to school,it’s like sending our children to a war zone
Very much so Valencia – my kids have been back at school for a month because they are in a private school. The school has put so much in place to keep our kids safe, but that is not so for so many other schools in South Africa. Some schools don’t even have running water so I cannot imagine how they plan on keeping the children safe.
Thank you
It is difficult for my daughter to adjust to the new normal because she was used to going out on weekends either to the park or the mall to refresh and recharge. Then suddenly, she must wear a mask wherever she goes it’s a challenge it’s not easy at all. Whenever I go out with her she wears a mask but often she wants to take it off and I will tell her no you can’t take of the mask you are protecting yourself from getting sick. This pandemic has changed how we live our daily lives and we are learning to adjust.
My kids have also wanted to take their masks off when out and I have told them the same. I’m just hoping that we reach the peak soon and start coming out the other side.
Even for teenagers, and maybe especially for teenagers, because they tend to have their own set of rules. We kept our 17 and 19 year old under strict lock down for about 80 days and have gradually allowed them to have a tiny bit of social interaction in a very responsible way. Going for a walk with a friend, watching a sunset, taking the dogs out, while keeping a bit of distance and wearing a mask. The younger one met a girl just before lockdown and has been chatting via WhatsApp but we have recently allowed him to visit her family home. We checked that her family has the same protocols and care that we do in our family. We cannot lock them up forever, but we can still be responsible about giving them some freedom. Instilling the responsibility in THEM is key!
I can only imagine how hard this must be for teenagers right now! I would have gone completely crazy as a teenager being cooped up. Teaching responsibility is certainly key here!
How do you tell a two year old they can’t play close to their friends?
It’s tough going on the younger ones, but I really do think that they pick up more than we think. However yes it is going to be seriously tricky explaining that to a 2 year old Marile. I’m not so sure that those young age groups are going back yet? If I had children younger than Grade R right now I would probably keep them home this year.
I find it hard to work with the masks on daily….I can not even imagine how difficult it is to all these kids going to school having to wear this masks and the shield then still be so cautious as to what they touch etc….
I totally agree with you Christine, I work from home so I have it quite easy when it comes to mask wearing since I only have to put one on when I go out and I am only going to the shop once a week or so. It is not nice wearing a mask and I feel bad for my kids having to wear one at school!
My son’s ecd center equipped the kids with information, son spotting a corona virus spiky circle then he shouts” mommy, look there’s the cocooroana virus ,can make you sick.
That is so cute Joleen – they do learn so quickly!
Thanks for sharing these great tips. It’s so sad that we need to restrict our children’s behavior and that they can’t have the freedom we had when we were kids. But it’s important to put our children’s safety first and embrace the new normal.
I completely agree with you Ruweida, it is such a tragedy and so sad but we need to do it to protect our children and ourselves.
Mother of a 3 year old. Him not going to school and no other siblings is very sad. He is lonely and sometime more difficult than I can handle. I try to be strict but also give a little bit more love. Being a single mother takes more out of you during this time
It is a very hard time for us moms. Maybe let your boy do some whatsapp video calls every day with his friends? That is what I’ve been doing with my kids and their faces light up when they see their friends!
This is soooo informative and helpful. I have a little boy and its a daily struggle for me to ensure he keeps safe and healthy during this pandemic. Thank you
I know the feeling Patricia, it is terrifying having kids in this time!
Yes. Plus, it was decided today that all ECD centres can now open. I am really nervous about sending my son back to crèshe. It is so stressful
My kids are 6 and 8 years old and in a private school where they have been able to put in place some fantastic measures to keep the kids safe, however if my kids were younger and below Grade R I would probably keep them home till next year. It is such a stressful thing because so many parents have to work and cannot keep their kids home. I work from home so it is incredibly hard to get anything done with kids, but I do have the option of keeping them home if I want to.
Parents and teachers need to be extra gentle and understanding towards kids and the most important thing they must not feel the adults level of anxiety. Kids are clever they pick up on these things very quickly. Please remember nobody have gone through this its a first for all. Implement a sign that can be used when kids expierence anxiety especially while wearing a mask. Implement breathing exercises ex : butterfly tap to ground and debrief them. Its a wonderful easy excersise. Be gentle!!!
I completely agree , it is such a tragedy and so sad but we need to do it to protect our children and ourselves.
You’ve nailed it there, it is sad Phumzile.
It is amazing how quickly kids adapt to the new normal.
My son is 4 and he knows, without me having to tell him, as soon as we stop at the shops he immediately puts on his face mask. And as soon as we get home he goes and washes his hands.
That is fantastic that he has caught on so quickly!
These are very helpful as my 5 year old is extremely anxious and so am I! We are doing our best and she is adapting but it’s still very frustrating.
It is hard isn’t it Mishqah? Life is really hard right now for everyone!
Thank you so much. Most people forget how hard all of this is on the children – we try to teach them and make them understand and every tip and advice we receive on how to do this is so helpful and much appreciated.
As parents we want to protect them the most but we don’t always know how or even what is the best way to approach this.
Very informative during these uncertain times one tends to ask yourself daily am I doing enough?
I think we always ask that as mothers, but especially now during this pandemic!
This is great tips. I work with kids, different ages, and I see how they struggle to get use to the new normal.
Schools are trying, parents are trying and I am trying to teach them the importance of everything currently, but even I get fed up.
Well these are exceptional circumstances – there is the pandemic which is scary, but the changes to everyone’s day to day lives has an incredible impact on how we are all feeling. I have many fed up days!
It broke my heart when i had to tell my daughter that when she goes back to school that she wont be able to play like she used to. She said she understands. Cant wait to get through this…
I totally agree with you Sonia. My daughter said that it isn’t the same not being able to hold hands with her best friend.
It’s tough on everyone but children are resilient
Very informative love all the information listed on covid