With the spread of the corona virus and school & outdoor sports closing down, kids & teenagers are finding hard to beat the challenge – What to Do while at home?
In order to keep kids & teens mentally engaged and happy for however many weeks they are away from school & at home is a challenge to overcome. A Good routine can help your teen to feel grounded and secure, as well as help him/her manage their time more effectively to meet the demands of school, friends, work, play and study.
Plan to Conquer
Find New Ways to Connect with your Friends
If you want to spend time with friends while you’re practicing social distancing, social media is a great way to connect. Get creative: Join in a social media challenge like #safehands. Note: It’s not a good idea to have unfettered access to screens and or social media. that’s not healthy, that’s not smart, it may amplify your anxiety. Work out a screen-time schedule with your parents.
Focus on Your Long-awaited Hobby
Have you been wanting to learn how to do something new, start a new book or spend time practicing a musical instrument? Now is the time to do that. Focus on yourself and find ways to use your new-found time is a productive way to look after your mental health.
Feel your Feelings
Missing out on events with friends, hobbies, studies, scheduled exams or sports matches is incredibly disappointing. These are large-scale losses. They are really upsetting for teenagers. What’s important is that you do what feels right to you.
Also, with a planned “time-table” or schedule just as when in school kids find themselves disciplined and happy.
Tips to Keep in mind while Planning a Routine:
- Set a daily schedule with the same wake-up time and bedtime for each school day—and stick to them.
- Make study time a part of your teenager’s daily routine, with more time allocated for study when assignments or exams are coming up. Do homework, watch a favourite movie or get in bed with a novel as ways to seek relief and find balance in the day-to-day.
- Factor in time off knowing there’s a reward for all that hard work is a great motivator.
- Make it visual—draw up a chart, keep a day planner on the fridge, record the routine on your teen’s phone or computer.
- Include your teenager’s deadlines for school assignments and exams on your calendar or planner so they can see what is coming up.
- Practice, practice, practice. It might sound obvious, but the only way to make a routine stick is to be routine about it!
- Don’t worry if you miss a beat. No one’s perfect. If the day does not go to plan, just smile, stay positive and start again the next day.
Doing nothing can leave teenagers feeling that everyone is against him/her or that nobody cares.
