Tips for surviving lockdown with kids!
With many states in Australia being plunged (at short notice) into “lock down”, parents and carers now face the daunting task of keeping the kids occupied for the duration.
With people only being allowed out for limited reasons, keeping the kids entertained can be a challenge, to say the least.
Here are a few things that might help you get through the coming week/s.
- Keep a schedule
Whether the kids are on school holidays or if they are doing remote learning, keeping a schedule is the best way to keep things running efficiently. I was going to say “keep things running smoothly, but when kids are involved, how much really runs smoothly?
- Facetime / Zoom / Teams with family & Friends
It’s important that everyone keeps connected during lockdown and what better way to do it than with one of the many virtual platforms we have all come to rely on.
You can even arrange a lunch time session with multiple friends all on at once. This will keep them occupied for a while and will give them a chance to catch up with their friends and see that everyone is in the same boat.
- Exercise
Even though we are in lockdown, its important to still get out each day for some form of exercise.
Go for a walk, take a ball to the park or if its raining (like it has been here for the past few days), put an exercise session on the computer. Even better, google “80’s jazzercise” or something similar and have everyone dress up in there best 80’s outfit for a good laugh. Dust off the legwarmers and show the kids how we use to do it back in the day.
- Story Time
Story time is cool and all, but how about elevating story time to something that’s out of this world!
Story time from Space is actual Astronauts on the Space Station reading stories for the children of Earth as the world rotates below.
Check it out at https://storytimefromspace.com/
You will also find some cool video on science projects they are conducted from the space station as well.
- Do a “virtual Tour”
We may not be able to travel to wonderful locations both in Australia & overseas, but with the wonders of technology, you are able to do virtual tours of some amazing places.
Google Arts & Culture have release some of the most amazing interactive virtual tours. Visit https://artsandculture.google.com/project/national-park-service and check out Yosemite National Park, Mesa Verde National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Grand Canyon, Everglades & Hawaii Volcanoes, just to name a few.
While you are at it, don ‘t forget to check out our own backyard. https://parksaustralia.gov.au/uluru/discover/virtual-tour/ will take you on a spectacular journey exploring the sights & sounds of Uluru.
Has all this stress and added pressure made you start thinking of where you would rather be?
Work+Stay are specialists in regional job placement. We offer individualised Settling in Support to ensure you make the vital connections you need to settle for the long-term.
We can assist with relocating, job placement, community services, schools, day-care providers, sporting teams and a host of other things to help you make a smooth transition into your new life in the regions.
[*Heather Bailes is the recruitment specialist at Work+Stay, an initiative of Settlement Services International [SSI]. Work+Stay is a social enterprise wholly focused on making it easy for regional employers to attract and secure the workforce they need and supporting those newcomers to stay for the long term.]