Parenting is not easy. In fact, it has never been easy from the get go.
Parenting challenges that are presented during an ongoing pandemic, however, are certainly on a whole different level; unlike any other that we nor our parents had ever experienced before, and generally harder to tackle.
Home tutoring, catching up with the kids’ online lessons, providing activities for the restless kids at home, working from home, keeping up with the house chores, making sure the kids are fed, cleaned, and overall healthy… you name it!
Nowadays, the list of things that parents need to do daily as we go along with the rhythms of the ever-changing normal just never seems to end, does it?
KIDS CAN GET STRESSED TOO DURING A PANDEMIC
“Mummy, I miss my friends and teachers. Can we go to school again tomorrow?”
“Mum, can I play outside without wearing a mask?”
“When can we go to the zoo to see my favourite animals again?”
“Mama, I wish we could travel in the airplane to visit grandpa and grandma again.”
Did your kids recently raise similar questions to you? All sound way too familiar? Well, you are not alone.
As we all grapple with the long-haul pandemic, fear, stress, and anxiety can escalate for both parents and kids.
On top of this, our kids have basically lost certain parts of their childhood too due to the lingering pandemic as they are being cooped up at home, with on and off schools and limited outdoor activities for most of the year.
5 STEPS FOR A HAPPY CHILDHOOD DURING A PANDEMIC
All of us, our little ones counted in, had a pretty bustling social and active life before the whole COVID-19 kerfuffle began. Things have sadly changed now.
The days of hanging out at the playgrounds, birthday parties, playdates, strolling at the malls, and running about in public parks may be halted. But that does not mean your kid needs to stop exploring and interacting with their friends.
Here are some simple ways to make sure your kids can lead a happy life physically, socially, and emotionally:
1. Keep in touch with their friends through virtual playdates
Not only do adults need to spend time with their pals to stay sane and happy, kids need to do the same too! It is important for them to have interactions and social time with their peers amid a raging pandemic to stay happy.
Is your child bored doing the same ol’ things at home? Does he miss his friends or cousins already?
Venture to the ideas of virtual playdates to let kids of all ages stay connected with each other, even if they cannot be in close contact. Celebrate birthdays, play charade games, create virtual building blocks or puzzles challenges with little friends over Zoom.
Have fun, mummies!
2. Stick to a weekly family time
Spend some quality time to bond with your kids and expose them to different fun activities every week.
Each parent can take turns to take an hour off from their work or daily chores in a week to give undivided attention, play, or engage in various activities with the kids.
Gardening, baking, cooking, board games, indoor picnics, family movie nights, and art-and-craft projects are some great ideas you can do together.
3. Make time to talk to your kids
Find a time to talk to your kids and listen to their feelings, wishes, frustrations, and concerns attentively every now and then.
Start a deep conversation with them over meals or pillow talks. Keep an eye to see how they are coping with the pandemic and adapting to changes. Of course, do not forget to show some extra love by offering extra hugs to your little ones!
4. Get the muscles and hearts moving!
Did you know that exercises are beneficial for kids’ mental, emotional and physical well-being? This is especially crucial during a pandemic when there is a limited pool of physical outlets available to release their energy.
Add play-based fitness activities to your kids’ daily routines at home. Turn on some music and organise kid-friendly workout sessions or fun obstacle games to sweat the anxiety and stress out of your little ones. Remember, mummies, it is all about fun and games when it comes to organising easy exercises for kids!
5. Promote good hygiene habits in a fun way
Making sure COVID-19 does not get near to our family can be quite stressful for both adults and kids.
It is especially tough for children to practise some preventive measures to keep germs at bay, such as by doing regular hand washing, wearing face masks at all times when they are outside, maintaining social distance from other people, and taking a bath first thing after getting home.
To reduce the struggles in implementing these new hygiene habits for kids, parents can guide them on the importance of practicing personal hygiene in fun and creative ways.
For instance, teach them to scrub their bodies clean during bath time by singing their favourite songs twice. Additionally, you can also encourage your kids to do proper handwashing by counting 1–20 or purchase scented kids’ hand wash that is of your kids’ personal preferences!
Last but not least, make sure you protect them from nasty viruses and bacteria to keep them healthy and have a happy childhood with Follow Me Anti-Bacterial Kids Range.
INTRODUCING FOLLOW ME ANTI-BACTERIAL KIDS RANGE
Never quite thought that anti-bacterial products like hand wash and body wash would be your staple buy for your kids before the pandemic, now did you?
Most parents would think the same way. However, things are different now. Reevaluating our daily hygiene habits to protect our little ones during this COVID-19 outbreak is our utmost priority.
If you are looking for the perfect daily protection for healthier and fresher skin for your kids, look no more! The newly launched Follow Me Anti-Bacterial Kids product range, provides a complete protection for kids as young as 3 to 10 years old. It is specially formulated with natural extract that gently cleanses and moisturises kids’ delicate skin.
SAFE AND GENTLE PROTECTION FOR KIDS
If you are considering the right and effective anti-bacterial products, without the chemical harshness, for your kids to keep their skin naturally healthy and clean, choose the dermatologically tested Follow Me Anti-Bacterial Kids product range!
Need some convincing to get Follow Me Anti-Bacterial Kids products for your little ones? Here are the top 5 reasons why you must try them:
- Safe for kids’ delicate skin
- Dermatologically tested – mild and gentle
- Ensures gentle protection from 99.99% harmful bacteria
- pH balanced – prevents skin from drying
- 5 frees: Soap free – prevents skin from drying, tear-free, triclosan-free, paraben-free, and colorant-free
FOLLOW ME ANTI-BACTERIAL KIDS HEAD-TO-TOE WASH
Enriched with Lavender and Chamomile extract to soothe and moisturise skin, Follow Me Anti-Bacterial Kids Head-to-Toe Wash is your safe bet to clean and protect your kids’ bodies from the bad stuff on a daily basis!
It is mild and gentle with a special formulation that prevents your kids’ skin from drying. What is more, it is available in 2 fragrances that your kids will surely love: Bursting Melon and Cutie Peach!
FOLLOW ME ANTI-BACTERIAL KIDS HAND WASH
Kids touch a lot of things in their daily lives and they tend to frequently touch their faces, eyes, noses, or mouths without even realising it. All of which can allow germs to enter their bodies.
Washing hands regularly is one of the best ways to prevent the spread of germs. Ensure that they continue the ‘wash-lather-scrub-rinse-dry’ practice at home every day with Follow Me Anti-Bacterial Kids Hand Wash.
With added Vitamin E and A to soothe and moisturise our kids’ skin, Follow Me Anti-Bacterial Kids Hand Wash is perfectly formulated for kids aged 3 years old and above. It is soap-free, colourless, and kills 99.99% of harmful bacteria too!
FOLLOW ME ANTI-BACTERIAL KIDS HAND SANITIZER
Keeping your little kiddos’ hands 99.99% clean from bacteria is easy with Follow Me Anti-Bacterial Kids Hand Sanitizer.
Specially created for kids, this transparent colourless hand sanitiser gel contains Aloe Vera and Vitamin E. Not only does it clean your little ones’ hands, it will also soothe and moisturise their tiny hands. What is better, it comes in a portable size that is ideal for your kids to carry it everywhere. Do not leave home without it!
Keen to know more about Follow Me Anti-Bacterial Kids products? Check out their official website and follow them on Facebook and Instagram. Also, do not forget to subscribe to their YouTube page to stay updated!
Remember, mummies!
Take the stress out of maintaining hygiene habits for both parents and kids by purchasing all Follow Me Anti-Bacterial Kids products today. Available on Shopee, the new Follow Me Anti-Bacterial Kids products range surely makes fighting germs fun!