It’s a Pandemic Why Can’t I Sleep till Noon?!
The age old compliant, if only I had time without a schedule, enough time to do whatever I wanted, I would do amazing productive things! Now, thanks to coronavirus we’re faced with more unstructured time off than ever before and I find myself missing the framework of an everyday schedule becoming rather sloth-like without it. But for families with members who are challenged and hate change, the daily routine of school / work / therapy and extra activities are an essential ingredient to maintaining a balanced household equilibrium. Here are some tips, ideas and suggestions for maintaining a flexible structure in the face of uncertain times.
Occasionally sleeping in or staying up late is a great treat but done every day leads to cranky little sloths and is hard to walk back once things are back to normal. The consistency of keeping to a flexible replica of your daily schedule will help reassure children that the everyday boundaries, expectations and controls are still in place.
ProTip: Write your daily schedule down, in pencil for flexibility, then post where it can be easily consulted.
The goal of keeping close to your normal schedule is to make the eventual transition back into the post-Covid19 outside world easier. Please remember, everyone is in the same boat and no one, except you, expects you to fill the roles of teacher, therapist and coach. Do your best, be kind to yourself and tell that little voice in your head to take a nap! Think of this as an opportunity to explore, substitute and learn in different ways within your normal framework.
ProTip: Consider the timing of your normal day the framework for your schedule but don’t try and make it a clone.
Substitutions:
Math - baking or cooking, card games, dice games, sewing patterns, online learning resources, drafting or building with wood / legos / magnets / etc.
Reading - read aloud to each other or to pets, record readings using different voices, audio books, online story telling with family or friends
Writing - post words on the refrigerator /mirrors / windows / other unexpected locations, add on stories with everyone contributing ideas, sentences or paragraphs over email or a joint notebook, write letters for snail mail, drawing or coloring to practice pencil grasp
Therapy - gardening, walks, Mother May I, mirroring movement games, set up a space for big motor activities, bike or scooter around the driveway, garage or neighborhood, jump rope, beading, sewing or crafts for small handwork, use flour, beans, sand, or colored water with kitchen utensils for fine motor activities
The ability to cope with ambiguity, change and the loss of a sense of control is something we are all struggling with these days. For those with challenges learning to be resilient is especially hard and transitions don’t come easily but it can be learned with practice and patience. We don’t often associate resilience with structure but knowing the boundaries and learning how to adapt to change gives children a comforting sense of control. And, honestly, couldn’t we all use a little more of that right now?
As always if you have questions please reach out. Stay safe, stay healthy, stay well!
