Coronavirus: 10 tips for serene confinement with children

We establish a schedule of the day and the week

Ideal to prevent everyone from hanging out in their pajamas until noon or going to bed at midnight. The schedule allows “Normalize” the situation and structure everyone’s day, to give children reference points: wake up, work, eat, nap / quiet time, games, shower, chores, TV time, dinner, history, bedtime … 

No need to be too strict in the schedules during this period of confinement, we can use the sign “approximately”. 

Children can make this “special containment” schedule to display in the house.

A good way to make it your own and to be able to refer to it during the day. 

Finally, for the weekends, think about “breaking the rhythm”. We do not work. We relax some rules like bedtime. A possibility to swing a little on Saturdays: define a theme, like at the leisure center (cowboy, pirates, football…). This will give ideas for meals, activities, films …

We take breaks during the day

Whether you have to work or not, whether the children are of school age or not, breaks are essential to breathe. Plan at least two a day. One in the middle of the morning. One in the afternoon. These “recreations” can take place in the garden. Otherwise, in a room other than the one shared with the other members of the family. Each child can play in “his own bubble”. And for parents, it’s an opportunity to have a coffee, call a friend, read the info … The confinement will last, you have to keep your strength.

We share the chores with the family

Preparing meals, clearing the table, laundry, cleaning, tidying up: if you assume everything, you risk cracking. The solution : put children to work, even more than usual, during this period of confinement. Either by indicating the time devoted to these tasks in the general planning, or by making a table of dedicated responsibilities. 

We do physical and creative activities

Schools send work by email or on ENTs, but that will probably not be enough to keep children occupied all day. Especially in the event of a bug… As for the little ones, they also need resources to continue to learn and grow. Short, build a list of ideas will be of great help to you. To display on the fridge or to write down on small pieces of paper to draw.

Some simple ideas: read, cook, knit, draw, paint, play board games, salt dough, origami, listen to stories (audio books or podcast), repair objects, decorate your room, dress up, put on a show, dance, do yoga or meditation, go to the gym, mime, call friends, write to them, invent stories, make videos, make household products, sort toys.

And if you are lucky enough to have a garden: do some sport, outdoor games, taking care of plants, making a herbarium, observing insects …

We allow screen time but set limits

Resources on TV and the web abound, and that’s good. Just be sure to limit their use, especially for children who are already working on screens for their “homework”, and to favor the afternoon slots (start or end). Here too, to draw without thinking, you can list the apps, sites, movies, shows that you hear about on the networks and that you think are suitable for the age of your children. Think educational games, meditation sessions, shows like “C’est pas sorcier”, classic movies and cartoons, museums that offer virtual tours …

We clearly say that we are working

If you telecommute, do your best to identify times when you will not be available at all (video conference, report to write for example), and tell your children clearly, that you will have previously occupied with a fairly long activity and that they will be able to carry out independently. If possible, set up your “workstation” in a separate room, or at least in a well-defined space with prohibition for your children to touch their belongings … In case of an urgent phone call, make a sign to your children (the famous “time out” of the PE teacher) so that they understand that they must leave you alone. If you have a baby, the playpen and the pacifier can get you out of critical situations. When you are not working, try to keep your smartphone away.

We think of our couple

Ideally, after lunch, time for a coffee to talk to each other “between adults” during the nap. If your children are older, create a quiet time. In the evening, you can also decide to have dinner alone when the children are in bed or have a last game. This also allows you to be able to broach all the subjects without worrying the children too much. Think of plan activities together To relax yourself. Massage session, movie or series to watch curled up on the sofa, make photo albums, read …

We manage stocks calmly

We make a shopping list for a week, thinking carefully about all the shelves in the supermarket. Fresh to continue to eat healthily and with the pleasure of cooking (vegetables, fruits, fish, meat), fast for times of rush (pasta, cheese sandwiches, biscuits), essentials for hygiene (soap, layers). You can also plan some menus, this will streamline the organization of the week. 

We pamper each other

Living together 24 hours a day, especially with young children, working and with the stress of falling ill can become very nerve-racking. If you feel that benevolent communication (calm, clear rules, regular debriefing) is no longer enough to contain the children or your irritability, pass the baton to your spouse and isolate yourself for regain energy with simple things : jogging, hot bath, meditation session, aperitif with friends on Zoom …

We explain confinement to children and we help them to calm down

children may feel stressed by this organization but also the information they hear. Do not hesitate to explain to them in simple words why you are confined, the dangers of this virus but also the hopes of defeating it very quickly. 

Several actions can help them overcome stress : do not let them listen to the news channels continuously, teach them barrier gestures and the symptoms to empower them, encourage them to take care of their grandparents (a little letter, a photo, a video, a facetime call from time to time). Also think about make longer term plans with the children. For the summer holidays for example or their birthday, even if it will be celebrated with a few weeks delay. Children of writing age can also keep a small logbook of this period of confinement where they recount their days, their impressions …