Covid19 has impacted all of us in some way or the other. (Mental Health and Kids) Maximal effect is seen on children than on adults since the coping patterns would vary highly.

Being parents, it gets extremely difficult to cope with all these and explain to the kids about the situation.

Here are a few and simple ways to keep children positive mentally –

1. Books are a good way to help them develop their vocabulary and ask questions. They will feel connected to words, people, places and things
2. Storytelling by parents and kids vise-versa helps keep communication ongoing. 
3. Art is therapeutic in stressful times. A lot of adults have since the past one year dabbling into art for getting calm and composed.
4. Watching movies that combine fun and meaning. You can alternate the movies as per the kid’s age and specific days which can turn it into educative one
5. Get kids to make a connection between movies and books. It is fun to think of themes in books and movies and help gain a better perspective of what they read and watch
6. Write book reviews. Whatever books they read, the kids can write reviews of the books. How they liked or didn’t like it and why.
7. Put movie reviews. Let kids voice their feelings about their movie experience. Did they like the movie? Why or why not?
8. Make photo albums or update them. Get the kids to make family photo albums and think of captions for each picture. It helps build vocabulary and also helps you in sorting out the task.
9. Get kids involved in house work. They learn to appreciate early in life how the house runs and what keeps it on a smooth functioning.
10. Involve your kids in thinking of grocery lists. What is essential? What comes under the essential and non-essential category?
11. Connect their learning to the world. Practical understanding (as much as possible within home) gives the children a context to base their understanding on.
12. Give them the idea of the community they live in. How it is essential to keep the community helper’s contributions in mind to ease our life. This gives them a valuable lesson to appreciate the efforts of different people in the local and community contexts. (Mental Health and Kids)

Don’t expose kids to too much news and social media related to corona. Keep yourself calm and collected. Stress can be carried forward and displaced to family members. Take precautions and explain to the kids too why it is essential to protect oneself. Get yourself vaccinated and keep kids and family safe.