Are you and children growing restless during the coronavirus epidemic? Have you looked longingly through your windows long enough? Air conditioning services may go a long way for your sanity inside the home, but outside the house is a different story. It’s no secret that staying active and healthy is the best thing you can do for your mental health. With offices and schools across the country closed in an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19, you and your children are likely spending a lot more time at home than you’re used to. It’s time for you and your family to learn to stay active at home.
On top of being forced inside, most group events, activities, and team sports have been canceled and even church youth activities have been put on hold. Needless to say, it’s time you and your family got outside and blow off a little of the steam that’s been building up.
Strict stay-at-home orders are in place across the country, meaning that you are likely to be a little skittish about going out and are even more causation of your children being exposed to the virus. So how is one to stay active at home during the pandemic, while also keeping yourself and your family safe? Today we are going to discuss that issue exactly.
These are uncertain times in our country, and there is a lot of conflicting information going around about what we should and shouldn’t be concerned about. As a result of this misinformation, many people are just opting to be overly cautious and stay at home, which is the best way to stay safe. The good news is this, there are plenty of ways to stay active at home during coronavirus while also keeping yourself and your family safe.
Staying Safe from Coronavirus
What exactly does “social distancing” look like for small children?
Unfortunately, it is a bit unrealistic to expect that young kids will stay six feet apart from each other when they are playing. It’s also probably a safe bet that younger children are less likely to be as careful about handwashing and germ prevention in general. So, for that reason, it’s probably safest for your child not to play with kids that live outside of your home.
This does mean that as a parent, you should be keeping a close eye on your child when they’re playing outside. While you won’t be arrested for spending time outside and have to pay a bail, you should still respect local laws during this period of social distancing. Otherwise, you might be escorted home.
Limiting your exposure doesn’t mean being inside all the time
Though it does seem like we are all at risk of catching this virus by just walking outside, that isn’t necessarily the case. Allow your child to go outside under your supervision. Going outside is imperative for their mental and physical health.
Under the current circumstances, that does mean that your child should only be engaging in solo activities or things that they can do with you or the other people in your home. Jump rope, hole hoops, bikes, scooters, and rollerblades all offer your child safe and healthy ways to stay active at home. Maybe you, like so many other Americans, stay up to date on your favorite sport via the radio. If you used to love playing soccer, football, or baseball and have the space to do so at your home, now is the perfect time to share that love with your children.
There are tons of things you can do with your kids that don’t involve more than one or two people and offer hours of entertainment. If you don’t know how to keep your children entertained, start simple! Just beware of playing particularly raucous games indoors, otherwise, you might need to replace your windows when a ball flies through it. There’s never been a better time to get back to the basics. Remember water balloons? Pair that with a whiffle ball bat and a sunny afternoon, and you’ve got your kids entertained all day.
The fun doesn’t stop at water balloons. You could build an obstacle course, or make a scavenger hunt. Even a bucket of sidewalk chalk is enough to keep a child entertained. Never underestimate the power of a child’s imagination: it can be their greatest asset in times like these.
Learn something new with your children
Have you always wanted to know how to fish but never had the time or company to do it? Well, now is a great time to learn, and on top of that, it is also a great time to learn something alongside your kids. Learning something new with someone is a fantastic way to bond with that person and grow together.
Stay active at home while you’re inside as well
What’s the old rule about playing in the house? Oh right. Don’t! Well, in the wake of the coronavirus epidemic, that rule might new a slight adjustment.
If you live in a space where your children don’t have the advantage of a large outdoor space staying active can be a little tricky. However, it’s not impossible, you just have to be a little creative.
Many indoor activities keep children active. Floor hockey, for example, is a great way for children to waste away a day having fun if your living space allows for it. If you have enough space to play tag or hide and seek, you can adapt the rules to say no running in the house. You’d be surprised how fun and difficult it is to play tag without running.
There are millions of ways to stay active at home even when you and your children have been forced inside. Our world looks and feels different than ever before, our playing should too.
How can you help your only child get through this difficult time?
Only children often experience loneliness growing up, and that is especially true right now. As much as your child loves you, it’s doubtful that they have much interest in watching your wasp nest removal projects or sitting in the garage as you polish off the boat trailer. Before you take your boat onto the water with that boat trailer, be sure to touch base with your local authorities to make sure that it’s okay.
That doesn’t mean that you can’t invite your child to help you with your garage door installation. You never know what kind of activities your child will be interested in until you offer them the option! While it’s unlikely that small children will care, your older kids might be itching to get their hands dirty.
If you have an only child, it would be best for both you and them if you spend a little time every day, about an hour, to get outside with them and do some physical activity.
On top of trying to get some physical activity with your child every day, you might also look at connecting them to some of their friends via the internet. Now, this is certainly no substitute for getting outside as far as mental health is concerned. Just be sure to hire wasp nest removal companies before you let your children run while outside.
What if I don’t have the time to get outside with my children during the day?
If you are lucky enough to have more than one child, then it might be smart to try to give them activities they can do together. That’s not to say that you should come up with a laundry list of chores for your children every day. Fortunately, odds are that your child is now enrolled in an online school. So at least a chunk of their days should be spent completing school work.
However, once your children have finished their schoolwork, they will likely be a little rambunctious and need to blow off some steam. This is where you have to get creative as a parent if you are working from home. Trying to think of challenges that they can do together, like who can jump rope longer without messing up, anything really to keep them active and thinking about something other than how bored they are.
Being an activity role model for you children can drive them to be more active
Many adults are doing extra these days to stay active at home, so if you are doing on a jog or a bike ride, now might be the time to ask your kids if they want to join you. Of course, if your children are very little, you will have to curb your exercise a little bit. Still, in the long run, it might result in your child having better exercise habits later in life.
Staying Active at Home While Staying Physically Safe
No matter what the circumstances are, no one ever wants to have to go to the ER to get stitches, especially not now. On top of the risks of coronavirus, parents are also facing day to day dangers around the home more than usual as a result of stay-at-home orders. So now, not only do parents have to worry about keeping their children out of risk of COVIS-19, but they also have to keep an extra keep eye for dangers around the home.
Here are a few simple ways to keep your children safe while they stay active at home.
Padding, padding, and more padding
Luckily, due to COVID-19, you don’t have to worry about other people’s children getting injured on your watch, so no need for the accident attorney for the time being. Head injuries are some of the most common types of injuries amongst all demographics and in most sports. So, if you are encouraging your child to ride a bike, a skateboard, or a pair of rollerblades, at the very least, you will want to invest in a proper helmet to keep your child safe while they stay active at home.
Many children also experience fall-related injuries inside the home. For this reason, you may want to invest in some flooring pads or bumpers for certain sharp or hard objects. Keep in mind that harsh activities could damage your home’s flooring, just like your pet’s claws. You might want to look up affordable flooring companies near you before your child runs around the house with cleats.
Make a closed area for playing
This can be a great way for you to take care of two issues at once. If you design a play space for your children that is closed off to the rest of your property, then you will ensure that you know they are safe from physical dangers as well as safe from coronavirus because they won’t be able to make contact with others outside the space.
Of course, you should still always have one eye on your children when they are playing outside.
If you can, use the buddy system
Even with parks closed and playgrounds covered in caution tape, you still want to make sure your children are safe from extreme risks like an abduction. If you have more than one child and they are allowed to play outside on their own, you will want to make sure they understand how important it is that they stay together when they’re outside.
Teach your children the dangers of traffic
This sounds obvious, but unfortunately, it’s not. You need to make sure that all of your children understand how dangerous roadways can be and how to deal with them properly. This means teaching children to look twice before crossing the road and never entering a roadway without doing so.
We all need to make sure our children stay active at home. On top of that, we need to keep them safe.
Communicate with your neighbors
Amidst the coronavirus epidemic you can’t just be letting your kids walk in and out of other people’s houses. But you can make sure that your neighbors know to keep their eyes peeled for your child if they do see them.
Neighbors can be one of your biggest assets when trying to keep your children out of harm’s way. Especially if they also have kids.
What we should all take away from coronavirus is better exercise habits, the ability to stay active at home, and hopefully a closer relationship with your family. There has never been a time in history where families have been forced to spend so much time together. So rather than looking at keeping your children active as a chore, look at it as an opportunity to become closer with them while also teaching them lifelong habits that will benefit their emotional and physical health.
