[Solved] Child loneliness

hi,

you should make the most of skype/whatsapp video calls. let them see their friends/family like that. my kids are opposite. they hate school and happy to watch frozen movies all day :p

As a previous person suggested using video call is great and also allowing them to send text messages and make phone calls, another idea is encourage them to write letters/notes/pictures and post them to their friends.

Hi,

What age are your children? Have you thought about setting up a new routine for them? In the morning you could work on a 'timetable' together which includes time for doing school work (are they being provided with work to do from their school?) and have break times between 'lessons'. In that way you are keeping it similar to their normal school day during the week. Then give them a break at the weekend. You could perhaps include 'PE' lessons by finding something on YouTube such as aerobic exercise or yoga and perhaps do it together?

Fegans Parent Support Worker

do you have a garden? can let them play out there.

hello
It is really hard in these uncertain times. A lot of people have been using face time or zoom (all ages) Perhaps getting hold of the parents of their friends and arranging a time to suite all.

My little girls best friend moved abroad and they missed each other terribly! They now face time once a fortnight and its really help keep their relationship alive!
Hope this helps

Hi there,
This is such a tricky time! I would agree with the reply about putting in a timetable for the day. Get the children involved and make a simple plan including the things they are interested in. If you have some open space/woods nearby for your exercise, you could factor in some outdoor learning such as den building (take a tape measure/small saw and include an element of maths), collect stuff to create a crown, piece of art for example etc, alphabet/colour hunt, bug hunting (Woodland trust on line has some resources you can print out), science (lots of simple experiments on line using house-hold stuff and shadows/sun etc). Keep any focussed tasks not too long, particularly for young children. Perhaps have some kind of carousel of activities such as one doing some cooking with you, one some school work, one some TV/own choice etc then swap round after a certain amount of time? Make a WhatsApp group of their friends and then have a group video call (perhaps set a task for them all then they all get back together to talk about what they did/found out?). Whatever you decide, try to get a routine going each day to keep some structure and even include a simple reward system to work towards something when all this is over!! I don't know the age of your children so of course, the activities need to be appropriate. All the best!!

Hello, There are lots of great ideas on this feed about combating loneliness, and I hope you have been able to put some of these into practice with your children.
Just another thought - how about encouraging them to journal? If they like writing then this could be a positive way of them sharing about their experiences of being at home during this time.What did they do? How did they feel? Why not encourage them also to draw a picture of the things they have done. It could be a record for them them to share with their friends and family, if they wanted to, or just a notebook to keep to themselves to look back on one day.
Perhaps encourage them to choose three people each they want to contact every few days, so it gives them something to look forward to.

Parent Support Volunteer with Fegans

Hi

This is a great idea to journal.

My son has been doing a video log on various days. I think when they record things by writing or talking on video it helps them with their lonely feelings. My son is an only child and I’m working from home and it has helped him a lot.
We also took some time to plant seeds in the garden and in pots indoors that he is looking after.

He is speaking to friends too which is good as they all feel on the same level with it and they help each other with their feelings of it all.
A few jobs and responsibilities around the house may help as a sense of importance and that you are all a team.
Keep up communication together, as it’s much needed with everyone right now.

What about some "cooking therapy"? We've got a Chefman oven at home, you can find some information about it here: https://www.justinscafe.com/best-rotisserie-oven/ It makes cooking together much quicker and easier. Cooking doesn't have to be a mess. Cooking with your kids leads to a stronger bond, provides some educational experience, and gives them a much-needed skill for later in life. IMHO

Thanks, the woods were good until the Woodland Trust closed the carpark!!

Some really great tips here. Thank you. Will try them with the girls.