Covid-19 is an infectious disease caused by respiratory droplets of humans from one person to another. The person suffering from Covid-19 initially goes through a no symptom phase and then develops a sore throat, cough, fever, and shortness of breath as the disease progresses. This disease has taken many lives across the world. There is no treatment or vaccine available for the disease resulting in many deaths. Due to the infectious nature of the disease, preventive measures have become extremely important in this time. Many nations are under partial or complete lockdown. The Indian government has issued a complete lockdown of the nation to prevent this disease from spreading.
Lockdown has brought the nation to a standstill and has caused the economic downfall. Lockdown has had a huge impact on the lives of the common man. People have been asked to stay at their home and only move out to get essentials or to go to the hospital. All educational institutions have been closed and companies have advised employees to work from home. Raising a child is a huge responsibility in itself but with complete lockdown, it has become tougher especially for a mother. On a normal day, a mother is expected to take care of the needs of the child, cook the meals, wash the dishes, clean the clothes and maintain the general up-keep of the houses and work for her office. A father is expected to ensure that the money & finances are taken care of. Amid the lockdown, the responsibilities have increased for both men and women. People are stressed emotionally, physically, socially, and psychologically. At any given point of time, a parent is actually doing 3 things at the same time if not more – attending a call, writing an e-mail, and serving water or food to the child.
It appears simple to hear but if it were to continue from morning till evening or probably late in the night, it becomes tedious and if it continues for a couple of days it is hectic. If it continues for a long time, it is stressful. All parents are in the race to provide the best for their child are losing out on time with them. Most kids then end up spending time on mobile phones or TV. All the other activities would require the involvement of at least one parent.
An interesting strategy that could help parents in this time of need is Co-parenting. Co-parenting is when both parents together take responsibility for care and upbringing of the children in the house. Other than parents, it could be grandparents or aunts and uncles supporting their own family members. It is when one parent is working the other takes care of the children and vice versa. Another technique that helps a child learn and enjoy is involvement, doing a task together.
Another method to maximize the time spent together and destress is by setting up a routine for oneself and the child. Once the child starts to follow the routine, it is easier to work through the day. Another technique is to nurture a hobby of the child, suppose your child is interested in painting, dancing, singing, or playing instruments, one can easily see, listen and watch the child enjoying the hobby. Another aspect, parents are overlooking is how the child perceives the existing situation – is the child scared? Is the child missing his friends? It is imperative for a parent to understand how the child feels about the situation of the country and how they internalize? It is the most important aspect during this pandemic that you listen and talk to your child. It is time to talk, encourage, express, and support your family.
