India’s federal government has shut down schools, universities, and all places of public gatherings as a step to mitigate the effects of the pandemic, which has infected 170 people in India, with four having lost their lives.
While youngsters and the elderly are using this time to explore their hobbies like cooking, reading, and learning new instruments, it is certainly a tough task for mothers to convince their toddlers and young children to stay indoors.
For instance, Ivanka Trump, the daughter of US President Donald Trump and mother of two toddlers, recently took to her social media account to show an example of how she was keeping her kids entertained.
Tweeting from home, from where she is reportedly working as the pandemic has brought the country to a standstill, Ivanka shared a picture of herself spending family time with her kids in a tent made of sheets.
“Throw a bedsheet over some taped together brooms. Plan a menu & ‘pack’ sandwiches, salads( S’mores optional😜)”, she captioned the image and asked for more ideas.
And some famous Bollywood stars are following the suit of the US first daughter by making the most of this “self isolation” with their kids.
Actress Shilpa Shetty recently took to her Instagram account to show her “fun time” with her eight-year-old son Viaan.
“We try planning a few hours of interesting activities in a day for our kids, but what do you do when you hear, 'Mommy, I'm bored!!' and you DON'T want to give them the iPad…Today's bonding session with Viaan happened with some tie-&-dye activity at home, with a special appearance".
"By the way, the t-shirts we're wearing were also made during one of our previous sessions. How are you keeping up with your kids' daily activities? Let me know and do share ideas with me. This was great fun. A must try”, she captioned the photo.
Actor Akshay Kumar was seen having some fun time with his daughter Nitara, while his wife Twinkle Khanna was busy with her new book
Amit Pandey, senior script writer of Cosmos Maya, a Singapore and India-based Animation Company and producer of kids cartoon shows like Motu Patlu and Selfie with Bajrangi, has shared a few more options on how to engage restless kids:
“This break can be utilized in a better way as most of the parents are also working from home and have got some time to spend with their kids. Kids love to watch cartoon shows and there are many kids shows these days that educate the kids apart from entertaining them. Parents can help the kids to develop a habit of watching such productive shows during this time which, they can continue watching even after the parents are not at home".
“The kids may start cringing of being stuck at home if you don’t give them proper time and attention; remember - kids are not very much used to stay alone for longer time. To avoid such situation, parents should sit with them to help them manage their time through the entire day- as they can make an interesting day-routine for them that may include study time, play time etc.” he added.
Sohini Mitra, chief executive officer of Avant Garde Films, Mumbai is currently working from home and has started a unique class, inviting all kids from her apartment complex to her house to engage in fun activities together.
“Being a mom of 2 boys, one 9-year-old and the other 10 months old and even a pet dog aged 7 years old I have clubbed in with two mommies and made a chart of activities for them. The kids come home and start studying. Then there is a lunch break post which we do writing classes along with grammar classes are conducted. In the evening we organize public speaking to general knowledge discussions and even social ones”, Mitra told Sputnik.
The Anubhav Learning Centre, a pre-school and daycare in southern Delhi, in its endeavour to keep children safe and happy and to equip parents with meaningful, age appropriate activities, is sending a daily activity planner covering all domains of development to parents on WhatsApp.
“This guides parents to productively engage with children using resources available at home. We are using technology judiciously to connect with children. Our educators are making video calls on daily basis to converse, motivate, and do activities with children. These include picture and book reading, story sessions, colouring, pattern making, academic support and fun activities”.
The company is also offering the services of some of their care givers to look after infants and toddlers in their homes where mothers are working from.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a televised address to the nation on Thursday, advised people to stay indoors, as it is imperative to stay healthy, since there is no known cure for the disease.
“And how does one practice patience? By staying away from crowds and gatherings, avoiding leaving your homes. This is called ‘social distancing’ nowadays, and is critical in these times of the global corona pandemic”, he adivised.