The pandemic has caused more parents to work from home. During the online meeting, little kids may seek attention from their parents occasionally, making parents nervous or even losing their temper. How do we prevent this from happening?
Being stuck at home long-term can make kids anxious. Children have immature language development, so they cannot clearly express their inner thoughts with words like adults. Anxiety in young children often manifests as crying or tantrums. This is just human nature. Survival is at the highest priority from birth. When the alarm in the head activates, it is natural for children to immediately seek protection from the most trusted, namely their parents. Especially when the parents are close by, it is really impossible to ask the kids to stand outside the door and suppress their panic until the parents complete the tasks assigned by employers or clients.
When parents work from home and have to calm down little kids at home, they can follow these three principles. First, let children know that separation (parents need to concentrate on online meetings) and reunion (parents put down work and interact with children again) are predictable. Unpredictable things will inevitably incite worry and panic, while predictable things will make people feel in control and not worry so much. Let children know their parents’ schedules within the scope of their understanding. Second, try to make parents’ schedules more consistent with children’s various activities (such as online classes), so everyone can have synchronized work periods and breaks. Third, make every reunion a good time. For young children, a good time is about satisfying two of the most basic needs: attachment to parents and intellectual development. Any activity that can make a difference and master new skills can make children feel meaningful and satisfied. Therefore, young children like to “make trouble”, such as stacking blocks up high, pushing them back down, and then laughing out loud.
During the pandemic, baking (such as cookies) and small crafts are the most cost-effective activities to do at home with young children, because the kids can make a big difference in front of their parents quickly, turning raw materials into beautiful end products.
Written by: Dr. William Chui
Originally posted on: Health HKEJ
Translated by: Cheuk Long Chan
