Keep The Kids Busy

It is going to be the longest school break in history – and for much of it you and your children are likely to stuck inside.

So how on earth are you going to keep your youngsters busy?

Parents of those involved in child modelling will no doubt have many tricks up their sleeves for keeping kids entertained on long journeys.

If your little ones were in involved in baby modelling or toddler modelling, you will have a whole armoury of activities, games and distractions to draw upon – and some of these will certainly come into their own now.

Others, for whom modelling for kids is either new or perhaps in the past, might need to come up with a few new techniques. 

And, of course, being at home for weeks at a time will be a harder task than a few hours in the car or on the train.

Give Your Child His or Her Own Space

If your child is lucky enough to have a bedroom of his or her own, then try to ensure they have at least two hours a day when they can choose their own pastimes in here.

Let them make a bit of mess in here if they wish – this will help you to insist on keeping the rest of the house tidy and organised which should help your own wellbeing.

Try to ensure they don’t spend all their time in their room alone or on a screen, however. It is important they also have lots of social interaction with other members of the household.

Let Them Help You in the Kitchen

We all know kids love to cook, especially if they are whipping up tasty treats, but let them help you make other things too.

You could prepare and cook meals together and allow them to take the lead sometimes.

Let them come up with ideas for what might end up being an unusual selection of items in your cupboards while you are social distancing or self-isolating.

Use Screens Wisely

Our children are likely to be in front of commuter screens more than ever over the coming weeks.

This will be an important way for them to interact with their friends and those family members you are unable to see so perhaps be a little more lenient than normal.

You could also, however, encourage them to use their technology a little more creatively.

Suggest they make their own film, for example, using a phone or tablet. They could make music, write stories and do artwork.

Get Stuck In

Children love to make things and now is a good time to encourage them. Gather bits and pieces from around the house and put together a “useful box.” 

These might include glue sticks, Sellotape, safe scissors, pens, paint crayons etc.

Have an hour or so every day when you spread newspaper out on the kitchen floor or on the balcony or in the garden if you have one.

Give them a selection of clean (and safe) items from your recycling bin and challenge them to make what they can from it using the items in the “useful box.”

Learning Time

It is going to be difficult to encourage them to do schoolwork they are set by their teachers over the internet so set up a learning area at a desk or even the kitchen table.

Identify a time each day when they sit down to work and, if they need encouragement, suggest they teach you whatever it is they are doing. 

By explaining it to you, they are having to learn it themselves and you never know your maths and English skills might improve too!

Read and Watch Together

Why not choose a long book to start reading together as a family? If you don’t have one in the house, you could download one. 

Choose something suitable for children and adults that everyone will enjoy then find half an hour before bed to pass it round with everyone reading a paragraph or two.

We will all be spending much more time watching television and catching up on boxsets now – so why not identify at least one series you can all enjoy together?

Find a slot each day where everyone comes together to watch the same thing for an hour. 

You can then chat about it at mealtimes and get excited together about watching the next episode.