In the crisis we are going through, it will raise extreme disappointment inside us if we always have negative thoughts about this situation. Our immunity system will become weak. Various types of mental and physical misery will be created in us. So, at first we have to take preparation to protect families and ourselves.
The children development from womb to first 5 years after birth is very important. It will affect how they will do good in school, how they will interact with people through which they will become successful at their adulthood. A child is born with the half size of brain which an adult’s size. Three-fourths part of the brain develops till the 18 months of age. 90% of the human brain is developed till the four years old of a child and left 10% he learns from the surroundings during life time. This is why it is very important to take care of your child‘s[ complete development during this period.
Mother’s and Child’s care during Pregnancy:
A child’s mental and physical development begins during pregnancy. There are some rules that must be followed to protect pregnant mothers on these days of Corona Pandemic. Those are:
- Have faith in Almighty instead of panicking.
- Eat nutritious food and have adequate rest
- Instead of being active on social media; You have to put your eyes on books for example: short stories, novels, religious books etc. Make yourself understand that this crisis will not last forever. One day the world will be calm as usual.
- In the leisure time, you can make toys, sheets, dresses for your upcoming child by using colorful soft cotton fabrics. These small moments of joys, happiness, good thinking can reflect to your child for its proper growth and you can gift yourself a healthy, beautiful baby.
Importance of Play for child development:
Play is very much essential for every types of development of a child. If you notice you can see that, a child grows up through playing. Play is the child’s one and only work to do. We understand development in terms of cognitive, motor, language, social and emotional. They are remain very happy while playing’ gets joy and pleasure. Two senior scientists from icddr,b, Dr. Jena Hamadani and Dr. Fahmida Tofail conducted different types of research on child development. They found as significant positive result on mental and physical development effect of psychosocial stimulation of children.
Provide different types of toys or play materials to your children according to their age range like:
- During 4 months’ of ages, play with your children with various colorful toys and talk to them about various topic with a beautiful smile.
- During 7-months of ages, hide the toys or something in front of them and tell him to find it out. It’s quite like play of hide and seek.
- When he will be 18 months of ages, you can give a soft ball to throw away and tell him to make a tree with small blocks.
- During 21-42 months of ages, you tell him to move a certain thing to one place to another, sorting things one above another, picture puzzle solving, labeling (for example: categorizing the toys and select certain different places for each categories). Children learns to solve different problems and it does increase their memories.
Moreover, talk to them, tell rhymes, story, makes fun, laugh with them at the time when you are free during your leisure times. . Because of this, his language development will be accelerated and they will grow up with the quality of self-confidence. Encourage your child to draw colorful pictures according to their age range, on papers and tell them to draw beautiful pictures as well. Tell them to make something with small blocks. As it is impossible to play outside during this lock down situation, make a chance to play soft clothes made ball throwing inside home. Doing this with your child’s, physical development (fine motor and gross motor) will not be interrupted.
Some different types of play according to children’s age range:
Let them play in turns, with imitations and play in groups if there are more than two children in the family. Make team leader every one of them in turning system. Sometimes you will see that, both of your children demanding the same toy. In this case, encourage your children to play in turns and set a certain time duration for playing with that one toy for both of them. Encourage your children to play certain games in which they solve various problems using various new technics.
You have to take steps to develop your children mental and physical development through personality attributes, analytical ability, leadership skill, interpersonal skill developing their self concepts. Notice that, children are quite imitative. They easily can follow the technics of their elder’s activities. Their memory is so much strong. These imitative attitudes burst out while playing. Have fun with your children. But remember, these fun should not be worthless. Through a learning message behind every funny occurrence. This practice will teach him one day how to manage tough situations very easily.
Make your home environment joyful during these quarantined and locked down days. Eliminate depression and panic in their soft minds. Ensure that, your child’s physical and mental development is not being interrupted because of locked down situation. There are various ways through which you can play with your child even without toys. There are so many games according to the certain age like,” do you see what I see?”, claps, “hide-and-seek” etc. Moreover, you can also spend time with your children with storytelling, rhymes telling, watching child movies as example “Baby’s Day Out” etc. Through this they will come out from gazettes addiction as such smartphone, tablet,computers. And yes, do not enforce anything on your child. Never say ‘NO’ on anything directly. If he becomes stubborn then make him understand with patients. Do not criticize anyone in front of him. Do not compare him with anyone else. Do not enforce your own will on him. Do not order him to become this and that. Let him grow up with his own positive characteristics.
Encourage Yourself to make toys by the wastes materials:
Economic depression is increasing in this global epidemic. How much ever our ability is, we help each other to overcome class discrimination as well. For example, encourage your child to play with homemade toys which are made by daily wastes things. The things you can do in leisure are: …….
- There are so many extra clothes, cottons, various used unwanted plastic bottles, cans and other household’s things at home; you can use your lovely imagination to make attractive toys for your child. For example: colorful soft balls, dolls, doll’s house, boat and so on.
- You can make some puzzle games using papers; giving soft papers various attractive beautiful shapes and stick them on hard papers with glue which will help your child solve various problems and puzzles using his little imagination.
- Moreover, you can introduce your child with handmade indigenous flowers, house, different type of design etc which are culturally appropriate. . But yes, you should make those toys according to his age range so that they can play with those toys with joy and pleasure.
Ensure Quality Time for your child’s Protection:
We are so far away from our very much busy time during the COVID19 outbreak days. That’s why now you can give most of the time from your important busy life to your child which is called quality time. Every child is born with creative talent. This is the opportunity to observe your child’s every activity thoroughly. If you notice you can see that, how much creative works he can do which are out of your imagination. As example, he is making you amazed by drawing various pictures, making car toys etc., writing various stories and rhymes representing them in front of you. If you think of it for a while, you’ll find a meaningful reason behind it. It is your important duty as a parents to become careful to these creative works assorting the qualities of your own entity by discovering them. You will see that; they will play a creative role for the society by cherishing these creative talents.
The outbreak of COVID19 rapidly in our society and over the world. Almost all of us are passing our days more or less staying at our own home. you can build up a learning environment at home for your child during these days. You can help him to achieve developmental abilities in daily works of your children nourishment like feeding, bathing, sleeping time etc. Even communicating with him during mother’s household chores and by playing with them. As example, you can teach your child Washing Hands through storytelling and games. Besides, you can teach him toilet training and other hygienic rules as well as you can make awareness about child abuse. You have to also focus on the fact that washing hands more and more cannot create any psychological problems. As example “Obsessive Compulsive Disorder”
You have to praise your child in every activities. It will be seen that he becomes stubborn not to finish up any work completely, even then praise your child how much ever he tried to. This praise will create a positive attitude in your child. It will help him to grow up as a self-confident person. The school is off during a long time for this reason interaction with their playmates and friends also stopped. So, it is normal that your child will often mischief and irritate you without reason. In this critical situation, you have to control him with fondness. If your child does so much obstinacy which irritates you so much then hug him and tell him,” Dear! Do you want to shout so much loud? Then go for it, do it until your heart contents”. Tolerate him with patience. Gradually, you will see he will not do this another time. Control your children with love and care according to their personality pattern and the age range of your children. Finally, I want to say……………………………………
Controlling Child with Love Will make him understand and Obey the forbiddance.