This resource is all about how we can be at our best in working in a variety of ways with our children. However, before we turn to these positive initiatives, it is important to note that the interactions between parent and child are sometimes quite damaging for the child under conditions of stress — such as many parents are experiencing right now in a world of the COVID-19 virus. Tragically, levels of child abuse are rising with the invasion of the virus. We offer the following important information:
Child Protective Hotline
1-800-4-A-Child
Caring for Children of All Ages
Depending on the age of our children, we must play a variety of different roles during this time of health crisis. With our children of school age remaining at home, we often have to play the role of educator and teacher. If our children are in later childhood and adolescence, we often have to play the very uncomfortable role of being the guardian of the gate: we need to ensure that they don’t leave home to meet in person with their friends or to attend very attractive events and gatherings–where they could contact the virus and risk the health of many people.
With stress and the challenge of complex, unpredictable and turbulent health care conditions being prevalent, we must often be protectors of our children–assuring them that they are not alone. This is perhaps of greatest importance, regardless of children’s ages. We are there to provide assurance and support. We are there to comfort, encourage and perhaps problem-solve.
We offer several ideas and sources of support for the challenges we face as parents during this time of virus.
The Parent Playing Many Roles
During the time of the virus, parents play many roles and often have to transition between these roles, as well as play somewhat different roles depending on the age of the child.
Activity and Learning: The Dance!
With our children staying at home and facing the challenge of learning outside the physical classroom, there is a dance that must be played regarding the ways in which we keep our children active in a learning-rich environment. Some suggestions regarding the orchestration of this dance are including in the following essay prepared by members of the Task Force:
Activity and Learning: How Do We Achieve Both for our Stay-At-Home Children
Nothings Going to Harm You!
Dr. William Bergquist offers a videocast that outlines some strategies for serving effectively in several roles to our children at various ages.
The Child with Special Needs
It is one thing to say that nothings going to harm you when your children can work independently most of the time when confined to home. There is a special challenge, however, when playing the many roles of parent if your child has special needs and you are trying to balance off the parental roles required when the child must remained quarantined with the role you must continue to fulfill in your work life. Quite a challenge indeed! One member of our task force, Kathleen Ayers, is faced with this challenge and has written the following essay about caregiving the special needs child:
COVID-19: A Day in the Life of Someone Caregiving for an Adult Child with Special needs
The Parent As Teacher
With children remaining at home, there is the challenge of being a teacher to them or at least assisting the teaching that is being offered on-line in lieu of in-person instruction. We offer several resources to guide your work.
Maureen’s Helpful Hints: Providing Education to our Children
We offer a videocast presentation by Maureen Simmons, a retired teacher and dedicated grandmother. She identifies resources to which parents (and grandparents) can turn in providing an ongoing education to their children (who are staying home) as well as ways to remain “sane” in the midst of the health care and home care challenge:
[To access this videocast, copy the link presented below, delete what is now in the browser (long diagonal box at top of your Internet page) and paste the new link in the browser. Then click on the dark black address that appears just below the browser. It should take you right to the videocast which you activate by clicking on the “play” arrow.]
https://psychology.zoom.us/rec/share/uvdXKIPMqk5Jf6vgy0HjarM7Bavkaaa80yIb_6FfmknWJzsqchTHryGNjKbG-NN6
Maureen mentions a couple of on-line resources. Here is a link to pinterest:
Maureen mentioned that You Tube can be an excellent source of video presentations provided by “real life” teachrs. We provide a link to one YouTube teaching session on long division as an example of this rich resource that you can readily access. This is not a fancy presentation, but it does the trick in terms of conveying important content — and you can always play it back and review it together with your child.
[To access this videocast, copy the link presented below, delete what is now in the browser (long diagonal box at top of your Internet page) and paste the new link in the browser. Then click on the dark black address that appears just below the browser. It should take you right to the videocast which you activate by clicking on the “play” arrow.]
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=you+tube+long+division&view=detail&mid=B9A2619C94FE5C2EEB7BB9A2619C94FE5C2EEB7B&FORM=VIRE
Other Video-Based Resources
One of the most important, long-existing and always valuable resource for us to access as parents (at least in the USA) is Public Television. The following link brings you to pbs learning media in the state of Maine, where one of our task force members (Bill Bergquist) lives. You will find a similar link in your own state (of can always access the Maine resource):
Here is another PBS resource:
Several task force members and others have strongly recommended the use of free educational resources produced by several different organizations. Here is a link to general resource regarding various stay-at-home (“home schooling”) options:
Here are additional specific links:
And for an “educational” resource that is a bit less “serious” but still filled with potential learning:
We are also linking you to a video that exemplifies another wonderful educational resource for you to access. This video is one produced for those who are home schooling their child. And now all children are being homeschooled–at least for a short period of time!
[To access this videocast, copy the link presented below, delete what is now in the browser (long diagonal box at top of your Internet page) and paste the new link in the browser. Then click on the dark black address that appears just below the browser. It should take you right to the videocast which you activate by clicking on the “play” arrow.]
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=youtube+social+studies+video&view=detail&mid=07BC6403D4DABF6BB7AD07BC6403D4DABF6BB7AD&FORM=VIRE
There is a third video resource that we strongly recommend — though it will cost you some money. These are the excellent lecture series offered by the Teaching Company and their Great Courses series. While many of these lecture series are geared to college-level education, there are some that focus on high school level education (courses on such topics as Algebra and English Composition). You might want to check on a regular basis to see which courses are on special–substantial discounts are available on all courses at certain times of the year. Here is a link to The Teaching Company:
A Guided Activity Book for Children and Parents During the Crisis
As we are all aware, our colleagues in China have already much more experience in dealing with all of the challenges associated with this virus. One member of the Task Force, an experienced psychologist in China, Xiaoyun (Sharon) Ma, has provided us with a guided activity book (translated into English) for children and their parents:
[To access this book, copy the link presented below, delete what is now in the browser (long diagonal box at top of your Internet page) and paste the new link in the browser. Then click on the address that appears just below the browser. It should take you right to the book.]
file:///C:/Users/William%20Bergquist/Documents/a.a.a..PSP/a.a.a.a.a.New%20PSP/a.a.a.Pandemic%20Hope%20and%20Action.Psychological%20Ta
What About Children With No Access to the Internet?
Obviously, if you are reading this page you have a computer and have access to the Internet. But what about families –and children in particular–who do not have access? If you are caring about the education of children who are poor or live in remote areas, then you would like to help solve this problem. While this problem is widely acknowledged in many countries, we have found very resources that directly address ways to get educational resources to these resources–other than actions being taken by the local school system itself. In the United States, we would suggest contacting your local PBS station. There may be some non-digital resources that can be sent to or hand-delivered to students. A local public library is another obvious resource–with proper precautions being taken regarding interactions with library personnel (if the library is even open).