How to Beat Cabin Fever: 6 Kid-Friendly Activities You Should Try

Cabin fever is a popular term used to describe a person’s reaction to being confined or isolated over a prolonged period. It is usually associated with feelings of irritability and restlessness and manifests in both adults and children alike.

There are various kinds of circumstances by which cabin fever symptoms may occur. One good example is the situation we’re in now; the one that’s brought upon us by the pandemic. 

If your child is experiencing cabin fever as a result of quarantine, lockdown, and social distancing, know that you’re not alone in this. The good news is that there are several ways to combat the anxiety your little one may be feeling. Read on and learn how to help your child beat cabin fever.

Indoor games

There’s no better way to combat cabin fever than by increasing physical activity and moving your body! Your kids may be confined inside the house but it doesn’t mean that fun should be limited. There are several games the family can play inside the house that do not create a mess.

You can have scavenger hunts or indoor treasure hunts! You can also try playing object hide and seek and make it more exciting by adding a twist to it. Maybe you can add clues and describe the hidden object with one adjective. Set a time limit to add a little pressure and excitement to the game. 

Kitchen activities

Getting busy in the kitchen is always fun. Not only is it an excellent way to beat cabin fever but it’s also a perfect parent and child bonding activity. 

Why don’t you carve out time for cooking and baking? Look for kid-friendly recipes online which you can replicate with your child. Bake some cookies or cupcakes. Be sure to encourage their participation and get them involved in the process by doing simple steps such as mixing and decorating. Give them a free hand on decorating the cookies as if they were pieces of art or choosing what color of sprinkles to use atop the cupcakes!

Arts and crafts

Imaginative activities such as arts and crafts are another great idea for killing boredom when children are home. Provide your little one with materials to work on such as recycled paper, cans and plastic bottles. Give them coloring tools as well as space to do their works of art. Let their imagination run wild and give them the liberty to create anything they can think of from scratch, unless they seek help for ideas, of course.

Not only are these activities great for keeping them entertained but they are also great ways to help foster creativity in young kids.

A walk down memory lane

Kids love to look at old photos as much as adults do. So, while you’re all home and enjoying more family time, bring out photo albums and have your little one look at the photos of their younger selves. The nostalgia this activity brings offers the perfect opportunity for storytelling and reminiscing the most precious moments from when you first held them in your arms. 

Household chores

There’s no better time to teach kids about household chores than during a vacation from school. Doing a few simple things around the house can instill in kids some valuable lessons. These include a sense of responsibility, independence, and patience. Incorporate age-appropriate chores in your child’s day to day activities at home.

If they are too young to do a big kid’s chores, have them tackle the simplest tasks such as organizing their toys or fixing their bed. If they can handle bigger stuff, ask them to do more stuff around the kitchen or help out with the cleaning or gardening. 

Storytelling and book reading

Another fun learning activity you may want to encourage for your kids to beat cabin fever is reading storybooks. Reading offers an extensive range of benefits to children. It helps develop their cognitive skills and foster their creativity and imagination. Carve out time for reading and storytelling while school is out. Who knows, you might awaken a lifelong love for reading.

It might get you worried to see your little one showing signs of restlessness or anxiety or irritability but don’t worry. There are several cures to beat cabin fever and these are some of the activities you may want to try.

Need more parenting tips or are you looking for the best quality early childhood education for your child? Please visit Imagine Nation Learning Centers.

 

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How to Have Family Gatherings During Social Distancing

One of the many things people have to sacrifice when doing social distancing is family gatherings. In many places, mass gatherings and even family reunions are strongly discouraged. It’s not hard to understand why. Transmission of diseases can happen very quickly when people congregate socially. 

Missing family gatherings is difficult and sad. It only exacerbates the emotional burden we feel in the midst of a challenging time. But don’t worry. There are several creative ways to connect with family and loved ones despite the distance. Here are some of the helpful ideas you may want to try!

Have a virtual dinner together

While visiting the homes of your family and relatives when doing social distancing is impossible, it doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy fun conversations over a hearty meal with them. Because you can. Thanks to the internet, you can still eat together even from afar!

Because family gatherings are made extra special when there’s food, why don’t you plan a virtual family dinner which everybody can enjoy over a video call? Prepare your favorite meals and dishes and schedule the dinner on a day when everybody is present. A weekend night perhaps? Or a midweek dinner will do, too. Whenever you want to have it won’t really matter. The important thing is that you are all gathered together (virtually) to share conversations and nice meals to bond and keep the connection alive. 

Hangout virtually whenever you can 

There’s no better time to make good use of the internet than now. So, don’t hesitate to ping a family member from afar and hangout virtually every chance you get. If you’ve got some free hours on any random day, invite family or relatives to jump in on a video call while you’re having coffee or watching your favorite shows. You can have fun conversations over coffee or tea or watch the same TV show or movie together! 

There are plenty of platforms to choose from. You can do it on Facebook Messenger, Facetime, Skype, Zoom, WhatsApp and more! Not only is video chatting helpful in bridging the distance to make family gatherings possible; having those face to face interactions and socialization is also good for your mental health. Even when they are virtual.

Play online games together

Games make family gatherings more fun and exciting. And even when you’re doing social distancing, you can still inject fun and excitement into your virtual parties by playing online games together. 

Look for online multiplayer games where several players can participate. From board games such as puzzles, scrabble and chess to more complex, role-playing games, there’s an extensive range of games out there to entertain your family for hours!

Create an online group for the family

Does everybody in the family have social media accounts? If they do, choose an online platform everyone is comfortable using. Create a group and invite the rest of the family to join in! Use this group to stay connected with everyone through chats, photos, audio and video calls – anything to keep everybody in the loop. This is also an excellent place to share old memories to remind you of the good old times and make you look forward to gathering together again in the near future. 

Go back to the traditional method of communication – write a letter

Writing letters may seem a little old-fashioned but who says they’re a bad idea? In fact, writing a letter may make a family feel extra special. 

There’s something about handwritten notes and letters that gives the recipient a warm, fuzzy feeling. Perhaps, it’s the fact that it’s more personal because they’re written on a piece of paper and not typed in an email or text message. So go ahead and write a family member a letter or a greeting card. Feel free to include photos or scribbles and hand-drawn pictures from the kids. This is an excellent way to maintain a sense of connection and provide a reminder of love even from afar. 

Family gatherings may not always be possible due to certain circumstances but who says you can’t keep the connection alive? With a little creativity, you can maintain the connection and continue strengthening the bond with family members despite the distance!

For more helpful tips on parenting or if you’re looking for the best preschool for your child, please feel free to visit Imagine Nation Learning Center. 

 

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5 Coping Strategies for Kids Who are Dealing with Anxiety

In today’s frenetic world, feelings of anxiety or stress are common. Adults are not the only ones suffering from this. Children feel anxious, too.

Sometimes, you may get so busy with your own daily struggles that you tend to ignore or not acknowledge your children’s feelings. Children’s anxiety can increase and could affect their development as they grow older.

So, how do you handle such situations? What are the best and most effective coping strategies for kids that you can implement to help them escape the cycle of anxiety?

Often, anxiety among children may arise from different causes impacting their normal routine, such as specific situations in school or with friends. In certain cases, your child may be suffering from lack of self-confidence or low self-esteem. Some children may have learned to “worry” too much about almost everything. 

Whatever the case, there are simple and practical solutions that will help your child cope with anxiety:

Let them acknowledge the feeling

Parents’ first instinct when they see their child getting anxious is to tell them to “relax” or “don’t worry”. While it’s normal, no child has ever stopped worrying just because he/she has been told to do so. Worry has become an integral aspect in our lives and serves a good purpose in how we live day-by-day.

Without worry in our life, we might never be able to prepare ourselves for actual threats that may occur. Worry acts as a sort of practice for our minds in that regard. Still, it can be carried to unproductive levels.

It is important that you let your child acknowledge their emotions and give them uninterrupted time to vent out their worries, as well as frustrations. Then, you can brainstorm together to come up with a suitable solution.

Talk to your child

Avoid asking leading questions, instead simply inquire about their feelings that day or at that particular moment. Encourage your child to talk openly about his/her feelings. You can let them list out their emotions just like how you would do with a shopping list. This will help them clarify what is going on around them and alleviate the pressure they may be having.

Set up a calm-down and relaxing space

A space specifically designed to help your child calm down or manage their anxiety is one of the most effective coping strategies for kids. You can set up a space in their bedroom—a cozy and comfortable spot where they can go when needed. This is beneficial for your child because not only will they know that they have somewhere to go when they feel anxious, but they can feel relaxed and happy knowing that you care enough for them to create this calm-down space.

Most often, children’s anxiety is aggravated when they feel alone and unloved. 

Practice the PNB (Pause, Notice, Breathe)

Sometimes, amidst the chaos of our busy life, we forget to take a break. The same principle applies to kids. Encourage your child to learn how to take a break—pause, notice, and breathe.

This little exercise is simple: pause, notice the things around you or notice the feeling that may arise, and gently breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth. Through this exercise, you can help your child manage their anxiety as this slows everything down.

The more you encourage your child to practice this, the more they will be able to naturally incorporate this into their daily routine.

Help your child create a coping kit

Aside from the calm-box space, you can also help your child build their own coping kit. If you want your child to work through his/her anxieties and worries, help him/her learn various coping skills.

There are so many strategies that you can both try. You can create a list of strategies and use them when triggers arise. Some include:

• Stress balls
• Deep breathing
• Journaling or just writing down your worries
• Progressive muscle relaxation
• Seek assistance from an adult

Try these simple strategies and figure out what works best.

What’s most important is that you let your child know that you are and always will be there when needed.

Take care of your own needs, too. Teaching a child how to cope with anxiety may be stressful for parents as well. 

If you want more help managing your child’s anxiety, feel free to contact us at Imagine Nation Learning Center. We are more than happy to offer you with more effective anxiety coping strategies for kids.

 

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4 Tips for Hosting Remote Playdates to Help your Child Maintain Friendships from a Distance

Even before this latest series of events, there have always been reasons that kids could not get together in person with their friends. Family vacations, moving out of the area, illness…

 

Can children still have playdates even when they can’t get together in person?

Technology is now a major part in people’s lives—and everyone is grateful for this. Modern technology enables so many things, including the ability to communicate across great distances.

 

There are apps that allow your kids to connect virtually with their friends and enjoy some playdate fun. Through these apps, they can play various board games, read to each other from the same book, collaborate on school projects, watch movies together, create art together, or play online games together.

 

Here are some fun playdate ideas you can let your kids enjoy when they can’t get together in person:

 

Caribu

This is a free video-calling app that offers unlimited access to its members. Kids will love this app.

 

They can read books from over 1,000 titles together, color, and play games during the video call. The aim of this app for kids to have meaningful connections and keep them connected in a more engaging and educational way.

 

Netflix Party

Gather all your kid’s friends and host a movie night.

 

Netflix Party is a great tool to let kids watch their favorite movies together. Those with a Netflix subscription can add this Google Chrome extension for free where you can synchronize a video playback with your child’s playdates.

 

You can also add a group chat where they can talk while watching the film. This is a by-invitation-only party so parents will not have to worry about strangers joining the chat. 

 

Anyone in the group can pause, rewind, or fast forward the movie to ensure that nobody gets left behind.

 

Grab some snacks or pop some popcorn for your kid, set up a comfy couch, and let them enjoy a long-distance movie night with friends.

 

Game Night

Kids love games, and spending most of their time playing online games is normal for some. 

 

Playing games — even video games — together has long had a social component, even for those who are not in the same room.

 

Online gaming site Pogo lets kids play their favorite board games, such as Yahtzee and Monopoly, with their friends virtually. Pokemon Go is another interactive game that allows kids to interact with each other and monitor their activities online.

 

Messenger Kids

Parents worry about their kids being unchecked on social media, and for good reason. However, parental controls are built right into Facebook’s Messenger Kids app.

 

Kids can have all the fun they want, with parents having some peace of mind. This app lets kids from 6-12 years old message and video chat with family and friends.

 

What’s more fun about this app than many similar mainstream messaging apps is that it comes with challenges, filters, and drawings kids can play with. They can also use this channel to collaborate with their friends to talk about homework or group projects.

 

Staying connected and continued learning are important. Even when kids can’t get together in person, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they have to cut off their social ties with friends.

 

Give your child the best education and preschool, contact Imagine Nation Learning Center for more details.

 

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Coronavirus

• We are open to continue serving our families and community. We operate an essential service for our children, working families and our community and we take that responsibility very seriously. That is why the health and safety of our children and staff is of the utmost importance to us.

  Please visit our FAQ page. We will make regular updates as new information becomes available.

  Our Health and Safety Practices

  We will continue to follow our health and safety protocols, adding additional protocols that include a dedicated cleaning staff continually sanitizing surfaces throughout the day. We will be promoting cleanliness and good hygiene with the children (including more frequent hand washing and cleaning and disinfecting surfaces and items in our classrooms). We will be learning about the importance of hand washing and how it can keep you healthy. We will also be taking the children’s temperatures frequently throughout the day.

  Upon arrival we will be limiting access to our schools. We have cancelled all outside activities, i.e. Monkeynastix, Stretch-N-Grow, Soccer Shots, etc.

  Attendance

  In general, we are requiring that children and staff stay home from school for 14 days following the last potential exposure, if any member of the household has (or may have) a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19. In addition:

  • We observe the children’s health throughout the day and respond appropriately as needed if we detect any potential signs of illness.
  • If your child does become ill at school, we will call you immediately so they can be picked up as soon as possible. Should that occur, please be sure to pick up your child promptly for their well-being, and to help us limit the spread of illness.

  Overall, the best way to ensure our students have limited exposure to germs is by keeping children at home when they are ill and/or contagious. We ask that you please watch your child closely and contact your physician if your child appears to be feeling under the weather. Please remember your child must be kept home if they display any signs of illness until they are free of symptoms for 24 hours or have a physician’s approval for them to reenter a child care setting.

  Travel

  We’re following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance for child care providers (CDC Childcare and K-12 Guidance) and their Travel Advisory (https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices).

  The Travel Advisory lists areas of the world that are heavily affected (Level 3), which will require those who have traveled to these locations and members of their household to refrain from entering school for 14 days upon return. This applies to our children, families, and staff members. The list is being regularly updated.

  Are you looking for immediate care?

  Are you a family in need of care? Please contact our school at 817-473-4406 for more information. There is currently a screening process to enroll in any of our locations.

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6 Tips for Practicing Positive Discipline with your Child

Discipline is no doubt one of the toughest jobs of being a parent. However, it is also one of the most important because of its lasting impact on a child’s overall well-being and future success. It’s also important to note that there’s a difference between positive discipline and punishment. But what does positive discipline really mean? How is it different from punishment?

 

Positive discipline is the kind of discipline that is founded on a loving relationship between a parent and a child. It is when a child is treated with respect and love while being taught how to make appropriate choices. Punishment, on the other hand, uses physical force to make children behave and obey. Because you want to make your little one do the right thing without having to instill fear, here are helpful tips on how parents can practice positive discipline with their kids.

 

Understand the reason behind the behavior

So your child hit their playmate and you call them out for that behavior. But instead of focusing on scolding your child, try to understand the cause. Is it jealousy? Is it because it’s their way of desperately bidding for attention? Young kids want to behave well but when they fail to, know that there’s a valid reason behind it. More often than not, they are only trying to get their parents’ attention and they do it in an unhealthy way because they don’t know how to process and express their emotions.

 

Try to look at the bigger picture and analyze the reason why your child behaves in a certain way. Maybe it’s also your own behavior that needs correcting to satisfy their needs.

 

Control yourself instead of your child

It’s definitely challenging to keep your cool when at the height of your emotions, but if parents want their child to exhibit the right behavior, parents should be their role model. Show them the kind of behavior you want them to emulate. Don’t do things you don’t want your child to do. If you’re at the verge of exploding, take deep breaths and walk away until you’ve composed yourself. 

 

Don’t keep on saying “no”

Parents oftentimes find themselves repeatedly telling their kids “no” or “don’t do that”. While there are things we don’t really want our little ones to do, there’s a much better way to stop them and that is by redirecting them. For example, instead of telling them that no, they can’t play video games during mealtime, you can tell them they can wait until they have finished their food. Doing this will help make them feel more capable because they are told what they can do rather than what they can’t.

 

Set clear expectations

And be consistent about it. It’s imperative that young kids clearly understand how they are expected to behave. At the same time, they should also know that you are consistent with these expectations. If they did something wrong today and were told that it’s bad but they did it again the next time, reiterate that the behavior isn’t acceptable.

 

Practice empathy

Parenting, while challenging at times, should be rewarding and fun. So instead of stressing yourself out lecturing your child for their misbehavior, try to empathize. Avoid raising your voice, and even if you have to do something about a bad behavior at that moment, wait until the perfect time to have a conversation with them. Find out what triggered the behavior and let them know you understand how they feel. Then, point out that how they acted was still a mistake and should not be repeated anymore.

 

Give them a chance to be heard

Just like adults, young kids need to feel heard. They need to know that their opinions and thoughts matter. Don’t get mad at your child for expressing their thoughts about anything. In fact, it’s healthy that they know they are being listened to. And when they talk, it’s better to stay silent and avoid arguing. Let them present their case and work with them in terms of brainstorming.

 

Who says parenting has to be an exhausting battle? It doesn’t have to! By learning how to practice positive discipline with your child, you’re on the right path to better behavior. 

 

Here at Imagine Nation Learning Center, promoting the right behaviors in young kids is one of our goals. Send your little one to a school that shares the same goals you do. Please feel free to give us a call for more information.

 

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