Social Distancing with Kids

It’s been an interesting week, to say the least. Since the phrase of the hour is “social distancing”, I thought I would focus on the “what” of social distancing at home with kids. Schools are closing, spring break plans are being canceled, and one thing many of us parents have in common is more time at home with our kids. This can certainly be a daunting prospect for many of us for whom this isn’t the norm. I think it is for a lot of our kids as well!

One of the biggest things you can do to ease the transition from school or daycare to home for your kids is to add some structure to their day. Almost all children in one of those settings are used to much more structure than one would ordinarily have at home. Children at daycare know that they have morning routine, then play time, then snack, etc. School-age children know the order of their studies, what time they each lunch, and when they go outside. Knowing what comes next is comforting for children (ESPECIALLY in times of chaos!). Children who know what to expect next are less likely to act out, and less likely to fight against the next step in the routine, even if it’s something they’d rather not to, than children who have the event announced out of the blue.

You don’t need school bells to add a schedule to your day. If you have a child who can read, a simple way to make a schedule is to type and print one out. Children this age can also be involved in the process, which will help them feel that they have some control back. While the parent might make certain things non-negotiable (such as homework or showers), kids can add which activities they would like do after.

If your child can’t read, pictures are a great way to make a schedule. When I make these for my own child or children I work with, I often just do a quick google search and find the images that look most relevant to that child, place them in a word document, and hit print. Simple and quick! Especially with younger children, it can be helpful to physically cross-out each activity after it’s completed, signaling that you are done with that activity, and moving onto the next one.

One thing to keep in mind when creating a schedule is that it is very helpful to order things that a child would prefer less before the thing they want to do, and make completing the first activity required before completing the second activity. An example of this would be placing chores before screen time. You’re much more likely to get chores completed quickly and painlessly if it doesn’t require shutting off the screens before completing them. I’d also suggest incorporating some outdoor time into the schedule: cabin fever is real.

One more thing: a routine can be time-based or not! You don’t need to get up at the same time every day if you don’t want to. Your schedule might just include certain activities that always happen in that order while at home.

Is anyone working from home with their kids home during this time (raises hand!)? A schedule can be a VERY helpful way to get your work done while your kids are home. You can create your own side-by-side schedule that says when you are working and when you are available. Of course, match your truly unavailable times with activities that your kids are likely to do more independently. If it’s possible in your job, I’d also recommend waking up earlier than your kids and trying to get important work done during that time as well (I’m not a morning person, so I know this isn’t ideal).

I created a complete sample schedule for school-age children that you can access through the link below; you can use it as is or edit it to make it work better for your family.

Working from home with a toddler is likely to be one of our biggest challenges in the upcoming week or weeks. What’s yours?