Your kid has a hankering for Rice Krispies squares.on a Tuesday? Check out these easy baking recipes for kids.
Got a conference call in the afternoon? Forget the playdough making you had planned, and cue up an online story time for your mini instead. Think: virtual field trips, crafts for toddlers, STEM activities for kids or brain-busting puzzles. When your kid’s virtual playdate gets canceled or you have an unexpected work call, have a few things to do in your back pocket that you can whip out at a moment’s notice to keep your kid occupied.
Have a couple of back-up activities ready to go. To feel better about it, stream some educational shows for your kids (like Sesame Street or Wild Kratts) and set reasonable limits. These are strange times and relying more on screens right now is to be expected ( even the American Academy of Pediatrics says so). “They can be changed around as needed, but the visual is a great reminder for children and helps them be more independent.” (Tip: A drawing or printed photo from the internet will work, too.) “Take photos of each activity of the day, label the photos and put them in the order of the day,” suggests Robertson. If your kids are too young to read a schedule, rely on images instead. “A good breakfast activity would be reviewing the schedules and moving things around so schedules match up,” advises Robertson. Does your daughter get antsy sitting down for too long? Schedule a five-minute stretch break at the end of every activity-or better yet, make it a family affair. But otherwsie, let your children have a say in how their days are structured. Some to-dos are non-negotiable (like tidying up her toys or doing his math homework). Your son misses his friends and wants to FaceTime with them instead of doing crafts? Give the kid a break.) “Your schedule doesn’t have to be rigid, but it should be consistent and predictable,” says Robertson. (Toddler on a nap strike? Move on to the next activity. Use them as a starting point to plan an itinerary that works for your family. “Routines and schedules help us all when we know generally what to expect, what happens next and what is expected of us.”īut before you roll your eyes at another color-coded, Insta-COVID-perfect schedule that accounts for every minute of your mini’s day (including a back-up plan for inclement weather), keep in mind that these are sample schedules created by real moms. “Young children get comfort and security from a predictable routine,” Bright Horizons’ vice president of education and development Rachel Robertson tells us. 
So what can you do to reign in the mayhem? Create a daily schedule for kids to help give them some structure.
Add in the fact that so many of us are juggling childcare with working from home and days can quickly spiral into chaos. This would be a challenge under normal circumstances, but it’s even more difficult now that the usual go-tos-parks, playgrounds and playdates-are out of the picture. In an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19, schools and childcare providers across the country have ceased operations, leaving many parents wondering just what the hell to do with their kids all day long.
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