The pandemic has put a halt to a lot of our plans from fruition. While we, as adults, can somehow take the beating of a seemingly never-ending pandemic, the children have it worse.
As their brains are not fully developed to handle emotions or fully understand the gravity of the situation we are in, it is our responsibility as adults to help them cross this bridge -- even if we are having some hard time as well.
Now go pack up the kids’ crayons and books because here are some fun hobbies that you can do together to help curb the loneliness this pandemic brings.
- Story Time
- When was the last time that you and your child read a story together? If you do not remember anymore, now is the perfect opportunity to rekindle this old bonding activity together.
Here is the twist though…
Instead of just telling the story to the kids, have them act out the story while you animatedly narrate to them. Use some available house furniture to be their props for the awesome story that they will have a blast acting.
Do not know where to start? Your wildest imagination is all it takes to elevate the experience. The ergonomic standing desk can be the makeshift castle, race car, or spaceship -- just fashion it with some flashlights and blankets your children can now blast off. For the under the sea adventure, a scalloped accent chair would be perfect for the cutest re-enactment of The Little Mermaid.
Feel like this story time is a little too hectic for a parent? Well as it turns out, storytelling has proven great benefits for your children to succeed as readers. Reading and even acting out stories stimulate their imagination and expand their view of the world. This interactive activity helps them develop their mother tongue and even learn a different language while still having fun. Storytelling also eases distracts them from what is happening around to something more entertaining, educational, and soothing for a child during a pandemic.
So, go ahead and read the best story ever with the greatest performance your children will give you!
- Journaling
- Journaling may seem like an adult hobby but your children can also benefit from writing about their day in a notebook.
Writing and keeping a record of their thoughts is a fantastic way to help children learn how to process their emotions if they have trouble communicating their needs verbally or making decisions. And if all your child does is write about a day-to-day relationship, she can still go back and thoroughly investigate it later.
However, to make journaling feel like a safe space for your kids, you should not feel entitled to pry on their journal even if you are the parent who suggested the idea. If your children feel certain that the journal is for their own eyes only, rest assured that they would easily take on journaling as the hobby that also helps with their mental health.
If you want to read their journal, make sure to ask for their consent first. If they do not agree, then let it go. if by the off-chance that they let you, promise to just read for a little bit and do not be offended if they write something about you. Just remember that journaling is your children’s way to;
- Analyze and recognize the feelings.
- Carefully make an informed decision through listing its advantages and disadvantages.
- Feel their fear and anger
- Look over her thoughts about an event that has already passed.
- Have some personal insight into her own and other people that she meets.
To make journaling a fun hobby, purchase some stickers and coloring materials to put their own personal touch on their journals.
Journaling is the best way for children to identify and freely express their emotions and thoughts as they are going through the tough time caused by the pandemics.
- Cooking and Baking
- For some people, cooking and baking seems like a chore and bore to do. This is because as children, they were never taught how fun and fulfilling creating a meal from scratch is. Which is why it is better to start your children young to turn this into a hobby that will also prove helpful to them in the future.
Including your children to your cooking sessions will engage their senses other than taste. This aids in the development of positive food connections. Touching the food they are preparing makes them more comfortable with the texture each food presents. With their sense of sight, you can teach them how fresh the produce is. Also, cooking with new ingredients will help them be more open to trying new foods. Through some little taste tests, your child develops a more complex food preference which is especially helpful for their growing bodies.
Cooking together will also help the bond get stronger between you and your children. Letting them have their input to the food that you cook will help them feel invested in mealtime because they feel seen and heard.
- Gardening
- Gardening with your children can help them practice even through the smallest things. While carrying equipment, dirt, and water, they can practice locomotor skills, body management skills, and object control skills. Their developing muscles will also be moving around to help them move their bodies -- which helps them stabilize and manage objects.
Gardens are also hodgepodges of sensory stimulation for a growing child. The cool water running through the hose and their fingertips. The myriad of fancy hues coming from the flowers. The texture of the pebbles, soil, and leaves along with the smell of freshly-cut grass and the fragrant flowers are enough to interest them and ease their minds of the pandemic.
The hard times will pass but the effort you made to make your children’s mental health will surely stay in their hearts forever. For the meantime, take this as an opportunity to create a stronger bond with your children.
