29 May
There is no question that the COVID-19 pandemic has completely uprooted our lives, economy, and the world, but now more than ever it is important to keep working. Be smart! Abide by the regulations and stay home! Essential workers are putting their lives on the line every day to help our country and it is important that each individual does their part.
Staying home and lacking a work environment can be very challenging, to say the least. Whether that means you are now responsible for taking care of your little ones during the day, a small house with a few too many people crammed inside, or a comfortable bed eyeing you down a few feet away. Staying motivated and working hard during this time is crucial, but challenging. With everything that is going on during this hectic time, it is understandable and warranted that your schedule will change and your work will be affected. The key is to control what you can control and lessen the effect that this crisis will have on your work or business.
Set your schedule and try to stick to it
Don’t sleep in until ten every morning because you can “start work later”. Try to regulate your schedule and make sure that you still complete what you need to do. Your schedule will probably change because of kids, additional tasks, or that maybe you need to go for a run before it gets dark out. Write down what you need to do for the day and stick to it.
Take advantage of the weather
Just because gyms are closed does not mean that your health has to suffer. Staying active not only keeps you healthy but also has a large impact on productivity. Exercising not only boosts productivity but also helps with mental and emotional wellbeing. Talk a walk or run, go on a hike, or take your kids to the park.
Stay social
Despite our social interactions decreasing significantly it is important to do what we can to be social. Humans are social beings and even though our forms of communication are slightly altered it is crucial to socialize with others. Have a virtual Friday pizza night with your extended family, set up a virtual trivia game for your children to play with their friends, and check up on loved ones.
How can you get involved?
Donate
If you are in a position where you are economically secure and are able to share some of your financial resources please do so. Since this pandemic has started, over 700,000 jobs have been closed and over 1.2 million people have tested positive for COVID-19. This means that people are relying on government programs and local organizations now more than ever before. There are many local and global organizations and companies that are working towards helping people in their communities.
Support Local Business
Local businesses are a large part of why our communities thrive. They provide jobs to locals, growth to the local economy, smaller carbon footprints than large companies, and a friendly face. Local businesses truly care about their communities and the people they serve. If you need to purchase something consider buying local to support these businesses.
If you a local artist, continue to create your work and share it on digital platforms. Sites like Kultura Doma are working hard to collect local artists and display their works to a wide variety of audiences through their streaming sites. Kultura Doma is not only streaming local artists work, but they are also donating 15% of tickets prices to the Czech Red Cross.
How to help children understand what is going on
Zoom. A wonderful video-conferencing program that allows us to chat with friends, family, and classmates, but a menace to any teacher or person over the age of 45. It is no surprise that family gatherings via Zoom take fifteen minutes to set up because Grandpa couldn’t find the link or because mom couldn’t figure out how to turn her camera on. Social distancing and University closures have forced teachers and students to meet for classes over virtual formats and it has made many students and professors very aware of how unprepared our Universities are.
In terms of virtual schooling, University students are in the best position. For those fortunate enough to have the technology available to them, university students are old enough to pay attention to virtual lectures and are able to take instructions and to follow them. The ones who are really struggling academically during this time are young children.
Young children are at a crucial point in their development and school is very important for that. They not only need school to learn and educate themselves, but they also need it to increase their social awareness and social abilities. Learning on an online platform can already be difficult, but is increasingly difficult when you are seven years old, cannot sit still, and do not have the attention span to look at a computer screen for more than fifteen minutes. Despite schools doing the best they can, children are not receiving the education that they need during this time. Some children may also fall behind socially because they no longer interact with children their age every day.
Being stuck inside can feel like your trapped. You no longer have the ability to follow your normal schedule and are restrained to your home. As adults or even young adults, we can understand that this is challenging but needs to be done. Children do not have the same rationale as they cannot fully understand what is going on around them.
When your child is staring out the window to a bright and beautiful backyard or the neighbours playing basketball in the cul de sack, they want to know why they cannot play with their friends. They want to know why they cannot go to school, why they are stuck at home for most of the day, and why they have to constantly wash their hands and wipe down their toys. They do not understand. This can be very challenging for a parent to explain to a young child and for a child to comprehend. It is already challenging for an adult to wrap their head around this new quarantined lifestyle, so how do we expect a young child to do so.
The key is to reassure your child that this will come to an end and that they will be able to play with their friends again, but right now it is important to stay home and practice social distancing. Many people have begun to create videos and stories to help explain to their children how they can be a Stay At Home Superhero. Telling your child to stay inside while the weather outside is beautiful is difficult, but these stories and videos may make it a little easier for your child to understand their role in this pandemic.
Links to videos and stories to help children better understand
Celebration Ltd, Sophie’s Stories, MyDadReads, Jamie McGraw, Elmo’s playdate — Sesame Street
COVID-19 certainly has and will continue to take many lives and a toll on our society, but this situation will not be entirely negative. This time will provide an opportunity for families to spend more time together, build or re-build relationships, be outside in the world, and hopefully will give people a greater appreciation for their loved ones.
