Things a Single Parent Can Do with Their Kids During COVID
Many single parents are struggling to maintain a positive relationship with their kids during COVID-19 while trying to keep them entertained and mentally stimulated with limited resources.
While all parents have faced the challenge of adjusting to a “new normal” due to the coronavirus, many single parents have had to adapt to working from home without a partner to share responsibilities, not having enough space, feeling overwhelmed, homeschooling their children, and adopting new hygiene habits amidst inadequate support.
1. Search for New Places to Explore Outdoors
Try out walking paths or nature trails, bird sanctuaries, bike paths, or zoos. Children and teens usually love the outdoors and if you bundle up, it can be a blast to visit and enjoy new outdoor adventures – even on a chilly or cold day!
2. Experiment With New Recipes or Ways to Prepare Food
Make preparing meals together a family tradition and it will give your kids something special to look forward to. Even a new pizza or pasta recipe can add variety to your menu and jazz up your dinner table.
3. Start a Weekly Game Night and Unplug Electronic Devices
Purchase a few inexpensive games and/or cards and designate one night a week to having sandwiches or pizza and let the fun begin. Children of all ages usually enjoy simple games like Connect Four or UNO. Some kids even thrive on playing more complicated games like Monopoly, and teens often appreciate word games like Scattergories of Scrabble. If your kids resist unplugging their phones or iPads at first, be persistent and they’ll get used to it.
4. Develop a Relationship With Your Children Through Hobbies and Interests
Sharing interests from sports to the arts can only help you develop a stronger bond. Be persistent if your kiddos resist joining an activity such as painting or putting together a puzzle. Keep in mind, you are the adult and need to be the mature one. Say something like: “I’d love to go for a hike; why not give it a try?”
5. Understand Your Child’s View
First, your children probably have a relationship with your co-parent and try not to take it personally if they prefer to do some activities with them. Divorced families are complex and even if your kids seem reluctant to try something new like game night, being persistent will pay off.
Parents across the globe have been confronted with unprecedented and unimaginable concerns about their children’s health, emotional well-being, and how well they’re being educated with the arrival of distance learning. We’ve also experienced the stress associated with reduced resources available in schools and communities, which is especially taxing for single-parent families.
