Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1697630812961.pdf (Antigua and Barbuda)
3 COVID-19 PARENTING Structure Up COVID-19 has taken away our daily work, home and school routines.

This is hard for children, teenagers and for you.

Making new routines can help.

Create a flexible but consistent daily routine Make a schedule for you and your children that has time for structured activities as well as free time.

This can help children feel more secure and better behaved.

Children or teenagers can help plan the routine for the day – like making a school timetable.
Children will follow this better if they help to make it.

Teach your child about keeping safe distances If it is OK in your country, get children outside.

You can also write letters and draw pictures to share with people.

Put them up outside your home for others to see!

You can reassure your child by talking about how you are keeping safe.

Listen to their suggestions and take them seriously.

Include exercise in each day - this helps with stress and kids with lots of energy at home.
You are a model for your child’s behavior If you practice keeping safe distances and hygiene yourself, and treat others with compassion, especially those who are sick or vulnerable – your children and teenagers will learn from you.

Make handwashing and hygiene fun Make a 20-second song for washing hands.

Add actions!

Give children points and praise for regular handwashing.
Make a game to see how few times we can touch our faces with a reward for the least number of touches (you can count for each other).

At the end of each day, take a minute to think about the day.

Tell your child about one positive or fun thing they did.

Praise yourself for what you did well today.

You are a star!

Click here for more parenting tips EVIDENCE-BASE IS HERE The mark “CDC” is owned by the US Dept of Health and Human Services and is used with permission.
Use of this logo is not an endorsement by HHS or CDC of any particular product, service, or enterprise.
Parenting for Lifelong Health is supported by the UKRI GCRF Accelerating Achievement for Africa’s Adolescents Hub, the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme and the Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme, Oxford University Innovation GCRF Sustainable Impact Fund, UNICEF, the Leverhulme Trust, the Economic and Social Research Council, WHO, CIDA, the National Research Foundation of South Africa, Ilifa Labantwana, Rand Merchant Bank Fund, the ApexHi Charitable Trust, the John Fell Fund, the Evaluation Fund, the UBS Optimus Foundation, USAID-PEPFAR, the Wellcome Trust, Grand Challenges Canada and Wellspring Advisors.