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Tag Archives: kids

How To Keep Your Kids Off The Screens And Occupied At Home During The Coronavirus

How To Keep Your Kids Occupied At Home and Off The Screens During The Coronavirus.

Like us, many of you are probably starting to seriously get nervous about how the Coronavirus will impact Australia, the world and your family. Many parents are calling for school closure and keeping their children at home, social distancing practices have been implemented and the government has implemented a ban on all indoor events greater than 100.  With this in mind, we are all probably going to spend a lot more time at home with the kids. With this in mind, we have been thinking of what we can do with our new found family time at home. So, what will we do while trapped in our homes with our kids? Maybe this could be an opportunity to start thinking about making some improvements to your home? Planning and renovating your home doesn’t have to break the bank. You can make small improvements by utilising your DIY skills (or gaining some via YouTube) and getting the whole family involved. It is also a really good opportunity to get the kids away from their screens and develop a sense of independence and creative thinking. 

Who Wants to be an Architect or Designer When They Grow Up?

You may not think your kids would be the best designers in the world but with their out-of-the-box thinking and imagination, they could come up with some incredibly ingenious ideas that you would never have thought of in a million years. Use some active listening and give them a chance to express their recommendations. Grab some paper and pencils and ask them to design their dream beds, shelving unit or kitchen breakfast area. Follow the wild stream of their imagination and work through solutions together. They can bring the creativity and you can work through the practicalities – all the while encouraging their creative thinking, and educating them on the why’s and how to’s of what is realistically achievable. 

Building and Construction – Good Idea or Bad?

Your initial thought may be that there is no place for children when it comes to the physical side of home renovations. Yes, toddlers best stay away from this area but you should give your older children a chance to prove themselves – bathroom remodeling is not a nuclear war zone!

Involving your children and watching them being focused on work with their nose crinkled, sporting their serious concentration face, is a valuable lesson and unforgettable experience for you and them. Your kids will learn to take responsibility for their actions and to think for themselves. Taking part in renovating their own home will also help teach a worthwhile lesson in understanding the work it takes to make your home beautiful and therefore developing a respect that may not have previously been there. Who knows, you may even end up with less holes in walls and graffiti laden bed heads. 

It doesn’t matter what job you give them from painting the walls and scraping off wallpaper to simply simple clean up duties or helping to measure for new curtains and blinds. Every single task is a sign of your trust in them and a fantastic boost to their self-esteem.

Time to Reduce the Minimum Age of Employment

To make the whole project a little extra fun – get your kids to clock on and record their hours/minutes of work and develop a reward or payment system for encouragement (there’s a food Math’s lesson right there!). This will help keep them enthusiastic about the project and a valuable exercise in learning the value of work and money. If you are using money as a reward, you could also teach them about the value in supporting their local community. Would going online and purchasing from a local toy store and donating a portion of their earnings to a local charity be a good way to support their community? There are so many ways you can teach your children about compassion and love for the world around them.

So, have a think about how you can get your kids involved in some DIY during these trying times, have fun and don’t let cabin fever get you down. 

Thanks,

The Blinds and Curtains on the Net Team

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