Good evening to everyone on this educative platform. It is a pleasure to be invited to lead the discussions on child expert obligations during this Covid-19 pandemic lock down. I thank the CEO and management of Restoration of the Dignity of Womanhood (ROTDOW) Children Care and Support for counting me worthy to address us this evening.
WHO ARE CHILD CARE EXPERTS?
Child care experts include parents/guardians, teachers, counselors, schools/organizational administrators, playground inspectors, aquatic specialists, human factors professionals, biomedical and product engineers, toxicologists, security specialists and architects, just to mention a few.
THE LAW AND THE CHILD
Every parent or child care giver has an obligation by law to take utmost care of a child in his custody. The African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the child (also called the ACRWC or Children Charter) act of 1991 and was entered into force by 1999 by the OAU has taken care of this and I would not discourse legal issues on this subject matter beyond this.
CHILD EXPERTS
In simple term, a child expert refers to a person or an organization who is very knowledgeable about or skillful in handling or caring for a child. Child expert doesn’t necessarily refer to teachers or parent alone; they could be guardian, organizations or group of religious bodies or volunteers.
THE ROLES OF CHILD EXPERTS
The roles of a child expert cannot be overemphasized. But since our focus is on the roles of child experts during this Covid-19 pandemic, and schools are not in session: children are mandated to stay at home in care of their parents, charity homes, orphanages or foster parents.
Hence, we’ll be discussing the roles of parents to their children during this pandemic season. I am also mindful of the fact that this is a train the trainer’s session. We are discussing with NGO’s and CEO’s who would also help to educate children care givers in homes, homestead and children care settings.
CHILD CARE
You’ll agree with me that a lot has changed in parenting in this century. Some methods that were put into training us by our parents won’t work effectively in this era with or without the lockdown.
A lot of child care Organizations including UNICEF and WHO has put up tips to help parents during this Covid-19 lockdown and I’ll like to build around these tips.
HAVE A ONE ON ONE TIME WITH THE CHILDREN
Have a one on one time for each of your children; it can be as little as 10-20 minutes. Your kids can’t all feel the same way at the same time. One might want to play, and the other want to sing. For toddlers you can sing them lullabies or nursery rhymes, tell them stories. Kids need plenty of junks to play with. A small place to play with clean sands will be welcomed by them, cartoons etc.
For younger children you can listen to them read and smile as they read or read to them, tell them stories, join them in drawing and painting, play games together and for teenager you might need to listen while they talk about their favorite sports, friends, celebrities even music and play games with them. And you don’t want to just look while they talk, so you need to read randomly about teen’ sport, music and all. For our highly educated adults’ sons and daughters who are with us by providence of the lockdown, what they need is very conducive space for self expression and simple food for health and against hunger. Regular small amount of fund for recharge card and place to charge their phones would be adequately welcomed by them. They also love watching TV series and musical shows either religious or secular of both.
Recharge your paid television subscriptions. If you can afford it a solar power system just to watch TV in the day will be superb. N150000 to N300000 will do the magic and you have the attention of every one at home. You can draw a flexible time table for both indoor and outdoor activities. When drawing this make children an important part of it, carry them along, and allow them to fix activities in the timetable. You can include them in house chores, make them join you in cooking, especially their choice meals and snacks.
GARDENING:
Allow them plant in the garden or even flower pots, they will be glad when they see the maize, flower and other things they planted growing, and they’ll be anxious to water it.
INDOOR GAMES
Make time for indoor games like Ludo, Whot, Ayo olopon, chess, monopoly and exercises like jumping jacks, skipping (skipping rope is just N500 in bookshops), jogging; be sure to partake in their games. Let them say “daddy/mummy you’re not doing it well”.
STUDYING
But remember to add studying in your time table, school will be opened soon. There must be time tables for children to review what they were previously taught in school. There are TV educational lectures e.g Wazobia TV 2.00pm to 4.00pm Monday to Friday. Buy children age grade novels for them to read and if you have DVD players buy DVD age grade tutorial for them to watch. Let your children participate in radio phone requests in vernacular or English.
STAY POSITIVE
As hard as it may sound, believe me, kids usually do what you don’t want them to do. Not minding that, you need to stay positive. It is expected of experts to implant behaviors they want into their child or children e.g.say “please put your clothes away” instead of “don’t make a mess of that place with your clothes.”
SHOUTING AT THEM THIS SEASON WILL MAKE YOU AND THE KIDS STRESSED AND ANGRIER. GET THEIR ATTENTION AND SPEAK
Be realistic, ask them to do things that are realistic, and not the impossible. Imagine asking a child to sleep all day, keep quiet all day, stop singing, no play, don’t shout. They have to, but at least they shouldn’t do that when you are engaging them. There should be time for everything. Commend them when they do the right thing, it encourages them to do better next time.
FREEDOM
This may sound difficult, but allow your teens to speak with their friends over the phone, it keeps them sane. Don’t be over bearing or over monitor them. They need some freedom. Enforce siesta if need be and control over sleeping. Discourage late nights on phones in the dark. If you ask your teens, you’ll realize they have contacts of their friends, you can also join them in speaking with their friends.
CORRECT BAD BEHAVIORS
Kids will always misbehave, keep an eye on them so you’ll catch or detect bad behavior early. Try and redirect them from bad behaviors, distract them with a game or chores when you sense they are becoming restless. When you catch them misbehaving, don’t shout or scream, take a moment before you comment. Use consequences that are realistic when they behave badly e.g. take away games for a few hours, stop them from watching TV, and take away devices for a few hours. But be sure you’re using a punishment you can keep up with. After correcting them, give them a chance to do the right thing and praise them for it
TALK ABOUT COVID-19
When the schools closed at the onset of the pandemic, the questions kids were asking was why was our school closed, how soon are we going to be away from school, how will we communicate with our friends, how are we going to study? And a lot of parents were kind enough to explain things to them. These questions won’t be a onetime thing, it will keep coming in. what is expected of experts is to keep calm, and explain to them again in simple terms, be sincere with them, don’t lie to them and most especially listen to what they have to say. Educate them on the transmission, the sign and symptoms and how sick one can be if one contracts the virus or any other infectious disease. Yes, they might be scared and that is when you should tell them it can be prevented. Teach them the basic prevention tips of Covid-19, emphasize hand washing and encourage them to add it to their daily activities.
Emphasise the danger of sneaking out to other neighbours house during this pandemic. Let them know they can infect every member of the family. Schools might resume before the vaccines arrive, our duty is to prepare our children ahead, teach them how to stay safe, tell them to avoid hugging and handshake when they resume back to school, tell them to maintain physical distancing. You can allow them practice it to you, so you’re convinced they understand what you mean. If you have DSTV etc. Make it mandatory for every members of the family to listen to at least one-hour national news together and ask questions after.
We may not have answers to all their questions, but listening and telling them researchers are working on it and they will keep providing us with answers that we are not sure of now, it will calm them down.
MANAGE STRESS
As we all know, kids are marvelous. They’re fascinated by everything they see; they explore the world every second of their lives, and that’s why they need so much attention from their parents. They can also be handful; therefore, experts need to create time for themselves to stay sane. Take your time, pause from the kids for a while, think positive, speak with your friends, check social media, laugh, take a nap even with the kids and you’ll be fine.
FAMILY HEALTH
Maintain regular health checks for every member of the house hold day and night. A small First Aid Box in the house is invaluable in times like this. In case of emergency call a medical practitioner for advice. Don’t forget the value of the treated nets to prevent malaria. Treat every cases of malaria adequately. Clean potable water should be available regularly and adequately to prevent thyphoid and other water borne diseases. Let members of the household drink enough water to prevent dehydration. As much as possible keep hunger away from children and let them have simple varieties. Home made snacks should be readily available especially in the afternoon. Late night dinner should be avoided as much as possible to prevent cramps and indigestion.
SPIRITUAL HEALTH
Devotionals in the mornings and evenings is highly recommended and members of the family must be encouraged to freely express their minds. There should be no bottling-up which may lead to depression.
These tips are not limited to the pandemic alone; you could also adjust them when work resumes. Most importantly creating a one on one time for the kids goes a long way in building good kids.
Our children can benefit from the under listed online children educational websites.
https://www.brainpop.com/
https://www.creativebug.com/
https://www.youtube.com/user/scishowkids
https://www.youtube.com/user/thebrainscoop
http://www.geekgurldiaries.co.uk/
https://www.khanacademy.org/
Thank you for participating.
Facilitated by Mr. Agunloye Emmanuel Idowu. FCIA MSc FIMLS
