Suddenly at home – How can we deal with a new family routine at home?

The current situation (Home Office, Home Schooling, uncertainty and isolation) creates a great challenge for families: Organisational but also emotional challenges. Importantly, how do we successfully support our children through this time and create a new daily routine?

General Tips:

Create a daily structure: Structure creates security and helps our children and ourselves feel secure. Plan set learning and free time, create opportunities for movement and eat together.

Create a weekly plan.

Physical activity:  Is important for everyone. This is also possible at home and without gadgets. It is good for the body and soul.

Be conscious with your media consumption: Ensure that you get your information from reliable sources that are genuine and clear.

Social contact: Stay in contact with your family, even if it’s not possible to visit them in person. Make contact over the phone, through chats and video calls.

Stay positive: positive thoughts keep our mind, body and immune system strong.

Tips for living with children and youth:

- Speak to your children about the Corona Virus in a way that is age appropriate: A great video has been provided by the ‘Stadt Wien’ (see links below).

- Stick to an agreed upon daily routine

-. Clearly plan and structure learning and freetime.

- Do activities together.

- Plan for and create opportunities to be alone – this helps to reduce conflict

- Many children during this time are especially ‘clingy’ or needy – many will need additional security and comfort in order to be able to deal with this unknown situation. Have lots of cuddles with each other.

- Do physical activity as a family: Outside in the garden or in the lounge room via YouTube videos.

We asked our experts: “What are your Tips for parents during the Corona daily routine”l

Dr. Dietmar Hammerer, Paediatrician, KinderCampus

“Many parents are concerned that their children are not learning enough. Good quality games are a good alternative to teaching children and youth. For example, ‘Siedler von Catan’, the classic ‘Monopoly’ or even ‘Chess’ – These games practice strategic competence, numbers, mathematics, understanding rules etc. “City, Country, River” is another good example, without the need for a game board.”

Julia Metzler, Diploma in Kinesiology

“I am certain that children absorb and feel our current uncertainty and fear. On top of this they have been taken out of their normal routine. I am not surprised when children are behaving differently now than they were before the Corona Crisis. We need to try to be understanding towards their behaviour and try to reassure their fear by being there for them….

Kinesiology Tipp: While going to sleep, hold your child’s head at the forehead and at the back of the head (=stress relief) and share fears and the hopes from the current day.”

Our Advice for Keeping Younger Family Members Entertained

Audio Stories:

The following site has been quickly developed for the Corona Crisis: https://diekurzgeschichte.de/

”Stories are free to download and stream because we wanted to do something good during this difficult time. During the Corona Crisis many parents have to manage both a home office and caring for their children. With these children’s stories, we want to help parents to create a bit of free space”

We found this to be a great idea and hope you can also find a few minutes to have a look through!

Everyday Play Ideas:

Two Occupational Therapists have developed a website for the Corona Crisis, to provide simple instructions for parents www.kleinealltagshelden.at

Kasperl Theater on vol.at:

Vol.at together with the Theatre Saumarkt, present a new episode of Kaspel Theater daily at Folge Kasperletheater.  Enjoy!

Fun Clapping Game:

This game teaches concentration and dexterity while having fun at the same time!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhPxxeDTS1U&feature=youtu.be

Our Advice for Parents:

Category: Knowledge and Support for Families

Out of the pyjamas…. and in to the family routing during Corona Times. The experts from the ‘Vorarlberg Kinderdorfs’ provide practical tips and ideas on how to manage family life with children.

https://www.vorarlberger-kinderdorf.at/corona

Interesting tips from the aks-experts on how to cope with the new daily routine during this crisis:

https://www.aks.or.at/fachleute/neuropaediatrie-neurologische-rehabilitation/

Category: Relaxation for Parents

Stiff neck or back pain? Remedy these with a Yoga program especially developed for the Home Office by Patrizia Böhler (includes video instructions).

http://www.patriziaboehler.at/Yoga-fuer-Homeoffice/

10 Tipps for Stressed Parents:

https://www.familie.de/schwangerschaft/gluecklich-schwanger/gestresste-muetter-tipps-zum-entspannen/

Category: Information in different languages

The Austrian Society for Psychology (Berufsverband Österreichischer PsychologInnen - BÖP) have an information sheet called “COVID-19: How to cope with home isolation and quarantine. Psychology helps during challenging times”. This information sheet is available in many different languages.

https://www.boep.or.at/psychologische-behandlung/informationen-zum-coronavirus-covid-19

“The new school day at home: Suggestions from the Department of Education for Parents” in available in different languages on the website:

https://www.okay-line.at/aktuell/coronavirus-mehrsprachige-informationen-fuer-schule-und-eltern/

Helpful Links:

Explanation video for children about the Corona Virus from ‘Stadt Wien’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kU4oCmRFTw

Sport:

Physical Activity/Sport: Kids-Yoga: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kclQMVrtGJE

Daily Sport Hour: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olNR0RNaXyU&t=1241s

Sport/activity games and rhymes for small children: https://www.youtube.com/resultssp=mAEB&search_query=bewegung+für+kinder+zu+hause