Coronavirus Resources & Tips For Parents, Children, & Families

 Tips for Staying Connected 

For our collective health and well-being, we must adhere to the requirements of social distancing. Physical distance, however, does not mean we need to remain socially disconnected or isolated. In fact, individuals, families, and communities can maintain the one thing we all need right now…social connection! Here are some clear, concrete tips for physically distancing while staying emotionally and socially connected:

Connect with family—right now is a great time to connect with family members near and far.

• Call/Skype/FaceTime/Zoom with family members
• Look at photo albums and discuss family heritage
• Create a family tree
• Write letters to/create cards for relatives (Perhaps an overdue thank you note for that really nifty gift you received?)

 Connect with friends and neighbors—our social circles often serve as our greatest system of support, and there’s plenty to do in lieu of play dates, shared meals, and group gatherings.

• Go outside and greet and talk to neighbors and passersby from a safe distance
• Host a virtual meal
• Attend a virtual concert (“cloud clubbing”), church service, or exercise or yoga class
• Play an online game together

Connect with culture—with many schools closed and parents working from home, this is a great time for you and your children to connect with your culture, as well as cultural institutions.

• Read books about your culture
• Cook a meal together that reflects your cultural heritage
• Virtually visit more than 1,200 museums around the world via Google Arts & Culture

Connect with yourself—confronted with the constant barrage of information, uncertainty, and day-to-day realities of caring for children, family, and loved ones, it is critical to find ways to connect with yourself.

• Meditate or do yoga
• Journal or read
• Exercise
• Take a bath

Tips for Staying Active & Engaged as a Family

With the cancellation of play dates, birthday parties, and sleepovers, your household calendar is likely wide open—this is a great time to do the following as a family:

• Play card and board games
• Make art or do crafts together
• Cook and bake together—talk about math as you prepare the recipe
• Build forts, design a marble run, or devise another fun STEM project
• Sort through bookshelves, revisit favorite titles and make a pile to donate
• Change family picture frames and revisit memories as you change photos
• Make a photo book together
• Perform a reader’s theater together—make up a play or production
• Sing, play piano or other instruments
• Make puppets and put on a puppet show
• Have a dance party, do fitness activities together, and play in the yard as a family
• Write letters or make cards for a local senior center, the RFPD, or RFFD
• Do puzzles—make up number puzzles or riddles
• Write stories and poetry and read them aloud
• Download and complete our Pinwheels for Prevention coloring sheet
• Establish routines—it is more important now than ever to create a sense of structure at home with device-free meal times, physical movement, and a balance between academics/work and enjoyable activitiesthat can reduce stress, as well as time provide opportunities to connect with family and friends. Also, eating healthy meals, exercising, and getting adequate sleep are essential to physical and emotional health.

Tips to Manage Stress & Anxiety

It is important to share reliable information about COVID-19 to dispel any myths or rumors. Knowing the facts and the actual risks can help reduce stress in yourself and others. Follow healthcare guidelines to model preventative care. Take time to have conversations with your kids about their questions, concerns, or fears. Common Sense Media has an abundance of resources for de-stressing, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests the following for things you can do to manage stress and anxiety

• Take breaks from watching, reading, or listening to news stories, including social media. Hearing about the pandemic repeatedly can be upsetting.
• Take care of your body. Take deep breaths, stretch, or meditate. Try to eat healthy, well-balanced meals, exercise regularly, get plenty of sleep, and avoid alcohol and drugs.
• Make time to unwind. Try to do some other activities you enjoy.
• Connect with others. Talk with people you trust about your concerns about how you are feeling.
• Call your healthcare provider if stress gets in the way of your daily activities for several days in a row.

Resource from: https://preventchildabuse.org/coronavirus-resources/