Coping with Confinement with Children

The current situation due to the COVID-19 virus has caused enormous changes globally. It is clear that we are going through a situation that we could call "exceptional" and that will lead us to have to stay in our homes for a long period of time.

Yes confinement and staying indoors for hours is already a difficult task for anyoneWe can imagine how hard and frustrating it can be for children. Sometimes it is the little ones in the house who give us a show of improvement and we see that we may even be having a worse time than them, but the truth is that even so, the current situation can make it difficult to coexist at the family level, causing emotions that are difficult to control.

In this article we propose some guidelines to be able to cope in the best possible way when staying at home with the children.

• Related article: "4 psychological effects of the Coronavirus (on a social and individual level)"

How to get through pandemic homebound with children

Even so, these guidelines are only a guide to guide how to manage certain situations, but if in your case you feel surpassed by the circumstances, do not hesitate to consult with professionals and from Mariva Psychologists we will be delighted to help you.

1. Explain what is happening

A common mistake is to try to "make up" or not to explain why we are at home. It is true that we can always make the stay more bearable and try to pretend that we are confined in a special mission, but even so it is It is important that children understand why we have to stay locked up, both for their safety and to naturalize that they too can accept this situation.

We should always adjust our language to the age of the child and explain what is happening in words that he or she can understand.

When explaining what we are experiencing, it is common for the little ones to have doubts: “Are we going to die? How long do we have to stay? Can I get it? ”, It is important that we try to solve your doubts being realistic and offering accurate answers and always with a positive approach. When we do not know an answer we will tell them "The truth is that this is not known yet." It is important that they also know the protocol that must be followed to prevent infections.

2. Maintain schedules and routines

After a week of "readjusting" routines, the usual thing is that online classes or homework are already available in schools. As far as possible It is good that we do not alter the usual hours that they had before beginning the confinement.

We can be flexible in some things but it is good that we try to maintain schedules and routines within the house: times to get up and go to sleep, to eat, to do homework, etc.

3. Naturalize emotions

If we said that we must remain calm and pretend nothing is wrong, we would be lying. We are living an exceptional situation and out of the ordinary, a situation of alert, therefore it is normal and adaptive May there be times when we feel fear, anguish, anxiety, sadness, or despair. It is good that we talk about it with our sons and daughters so that they understand that what they are feeling is normal in this situation, but they will be able to adapt little by little to a greater or lesser extent measure.

We as adults will also be feeling these emotions and we must try to control them but at the same time accept that they are part of the adaptation process.

• You may be interested: "5 tips to nurture your child with emotional intelligence"

4. To manage time

Sometimes by spending so many hours at home both adults and children can fall into boredom and anxiety. East It is time to try to do those activities for which you did not have time before: play sports, read, watch a movie, organize cabinets, make recipes, play with the family, etc.

Something very necessary is to be able to occupy the time doing activities. If we have any outdoor space such as a balcony or terrace we can carry out an activity outside. If this is not our case, we can try to do relaxation exercises, physical activity and games to visualize ourselves in an open space. This will make staying indoors more bearable.

5. Allow ourselves our own space

After days and days all together in a few square meters it is easy for there to be more discussions, as well as an increase in negative emotions, which is why family and conflict conflicts may arise coexistence. Thus It is important that while doing family activities we can all have their own space and time alone.

It is good to spend a few minutes of the day being alone, for example: try to lengthen the shower for a few more minutes, put music with headphones and focus on our breathing, leave the little one in a room to play alone and relax, etc.

It should also be taken into account that in this situation it is easy for our children not to perform at their best or concentrate on homework. You have to normalize this, if for you as an adult this is being difficult and it is difficult for you to obtain the same performance, for them it can be even more complicated. Therefore, you have to be patient and try to be flexible with them.

Looking for support?

These are some guidelines to use at home, but each person may need different tools and techniques to manage the alarm state. For this reason, it is essential that we try to identify what our child needs and that we try to offer him a solution for each problem that comes our way.

It should be noted that although it is normal to feel certain emotions and concerns, if you feel that the situation overwhelms you or that problems that you previously had controlled are reappearing, you can consult a professional to help you manage your emotions. Since Mariva Psychologists Currently we continue working through telematic means such as video calls to continue helping you in whatever way we can. To see our contact details, click click here.