“Be a Better Parent By Doing Less”

The last three months have been unprecedentable, never before have schools been closed for such a long stretch due to natural or man-made calamity. Adults around them are scared and overprotective about their kids in the family, especially their parents, who are responsible for their well-being. All of us are aware that covid time made parenthood more challenging than normal time, therefore covid-19 is not only a virus but a situation that is mentally and psychologically draining. Since schools have come to a halt, parents of young children are having a tough time keeping them engaged in meaningful activities. Sometimes parents become strict or too flexible which could prove unproductive, but the best way is to give supervised autonomy to the child. Dr. Prerna Kohli, who was one of the first clinical psychologists to be awarded by the President of India in 2016. She believed that children should be given flexibility in times of uncertainty which gives autonomy to the child, therefore, develop and instill confidence and self-esteem in them. Some basic skills are essential like making the bed can teach them responsibility and we should also include exercise and meditation focusing on developing physical and mental resilience. Friendly parenting promotes values of optimism among children. some activities which could be beneficial during this tough time are :

. Learn to cook one new dish once in a while and just share the recipe made by the child or make a video through his/ her camera, in this way child will be able to know the science behind cooking and baking.

. Draw or paint wall mural together or do gardening.

. Play games like Suduko, solve puzzles, etc.

.Cleaning up the room, setting the table, folding the blanket.

.In free time, explore countries and read some storybooks.

Specifically flexible and motivated activities assist children to enjoy learning. Moreover, it is already widely acknowledged in the educational system that learner’s autonomy would help them organize their work, take more initiative, think more critically and be more involved and responsible. Every action needs to be monitored simultaneously, even the activities should be joyful and instill a responsibility among them.