Taking care of children isn’t easy. It’s been referred to as the most difficult job in the world on countless occasions. Keeping children from tearing the house down during a three-week lockdown is even more difficult.

But don’t call grandma just yet. We’ve got some amazing ideas for fun things that you can do with your kids, as well as strategies to keep them under control, during the coronavirus lockdown.

What to say about COVID-19?

First of all, your children have a right to know what’s going on in the world. If they’re in their teens, then the likelihood is that they already have a pretty firm grasp on the situation. Regardless, it’s important to talk with them about it and use age-appropriate language. It’s also important to highlight the fact that this is a manageable situation and not something to be anxious about.

Parenting ideas during COVID-19 lockdown

The coronavirus lockdown is a great opportunity to improve your relationship with your children. You have the opportunity to spend more time with them while giving them extra responsibilities during this difficult time.

Exercise together

Not only can exercise keep you sane during these difficult times, but working out with your kids (or your partner) is a great way to spend some time together. It’ll keep your blood flowing and it’ll burn off their energy as well, tiring them out a bit for the rest of the day.

Take breaks from what you’re doing to play

Taking regular breaks when working from home is crucial – take it from me, I work from home all the time. If you don’t take breaks, then your focus isn’t likely to last long and you’ll begin procrastinating. We can only focus for four hours per day on average, according to neuroscientists, so it’s either waste the rest of the time ‘trying to work’ or spend that time bonding with your kids in playtime. Just make sure that they know that when you go back to work, you shouldn’t be disturbed.

Let them help around the house

Kids love responsibility, so letting them help out with the ‘adult’ tasks will make them feel more useful and valued, which will, in turn, boost their self-esteem. This ranges from simple things like announcing that it’s time to make dinner and you’ll need a hand. You can get them to measure our ingredients or pass you things. Let them help with tasks – they’ll be atrocious at first, but they’ll enjoy it, that’s the main thing.

Learn something new together

If you’re essentially homeschooling your kids anyway, then you might as well learn something yourself at the same time – other than how difficult it is to work from home and teach your kids. Learning something new together will further strengthen the bond you’ll develop with your kids and it’ll make the subject seem less boring for them if they can see that you’re also making an effort to learn it with them.

Walk away when there’s tension

If the tension starts to mount, don’t be tempted to lash out. Instead, walk away and do something else. Oftentimes, when things become unbearable, parents will yell and say something that can hurt the child a lot more than a slap on the wrist. Don’t fall into that trap.

Instead, it’s best to just let the tensions simmer down before the lid blows off. You’re both in this together and it’s especially important that you all realize this – especially if you have teenage kids. Don’t blame things on them or accuse them of not pulling their weight (unless they really aren’t). It’s best to keep things on a footing of mutual trust and respect.