New coronavirus cases are back in Singapore and there is need for parents to re-educate kids on COVID-19 protocols, once again. According to the latest figures by the Ministry of Health, Singapore reported 13 new COVID-19 cases on March 8, and all of them are imported. The positive sign is that there are no new locally transmitted infections reported in the community or in migrant worker dormitories.
But even so, with the new coronavirus cases in the country, parents need to be extra cautious, as children also stand a chance of contracting the infection. The reason to worry here is that there is no vaccination for this age group, as of now.
COVID Precautions At Home: What Kids Must Know
People need to wear masks and follow other COVID-19 precautions (Photo Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons)
If you have a small child, you may need to take extra precautions at home. Listed below are some habits they need to adopt and if they already do, its time you re-educate them.
- Every day, use a household cleaner or wipe to clean things that get touched a lot. These include doorknobs, light switches, toys, remote controls, and phones.
- Wash your hands well and often. Wash with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or use an alcohol-based hand sanitiser.
- Change your clothes after coming from outside
- Sanitise things brought from the market
- Wear masks inside your house when outsiders come
In addition to these basic activities, there are also some other precautionary measures you’ll need to take to ensure your kids are well-informed and ready. Especially now since they are back to school.
What To Teach Your Kids About COVID-19: 11 Tips For Parents
Kids need to frequently wash their hands | Image courtesy: Pixabay
When the pandemic struck last year, there was panic and chaos in the minds of parents as they had to struggle with both office work and managing their kids at home.
Now, as the situation has gotten better and with the economy opening up, it requires parents to step out more frequently. This can expose kids to the infection. Parents are therefore, constantly worried about the safety of their children. However, there is no need to stress, here are a few tips which can help you in these times.
Explain to the kids about the virus
The first thing that parents need to do is explain the basics of coronavirus including what it is, how it spreads, and how one can protect themselves by taking basic precautions.
Instil hygiene habits
Educate your child about the importance of hygiene and how it is imperative to keep the virus away. They should wash their hands at regular intervals. Whenever stepping out, encourage kids to carry hand sanitisers that they can use when their hands are dirty.
Promote mask-wearing
Masks have become an important part of the post-COVID life. Teach your kids that they can’t step out of their home without wearing a face mask and encourage others to do the same.
Help kids deal with stress
It is a very difficult phase for kids as well. At an age when they should be out playing, enjoying school and having fun with their friends, they are stuck inside their homes. Uncertainty and fear because of the pandemic can stress kids out. So in order to relieve them of anxiety, talk to them and help them open up and relax.
Teach physical distancing
It is difficult to have kids practice social distancing. However, you need to teach the importance of maintaining a safe distance from others.
Play indoor games
As parents, encourage your kids to play indoor games. It will not only keep them engaged, but will also help in their mental development. Instead of allowing them to spend time on electronic gadgets and social media, introduce them to a variety of mind games.
Giving small rewards
Giving children a small reward for keeping up with safety protocols is a good way to reinforce positive behaviour. The aim is not to bribe the kids, but to encourage and motivate them.
Online classes stress
Kids don’t have the tenacity to sit for long hours in front of their laptops. Now, since the schools have shifted to online teaching, kids are under huge stress. As a parent, if you see your child facing a problem in coping up with studies, don’t punish and humiliate them. Try to spend some time with them and instead help them with their studies.
Keep children safe online
Since kids are spending a majority of their time online, as parents you need to keep a tab on the content that they are consuming. You can set up parental control and cover the camera when not in use.
Encourage kids to open up
As a parent, you need to encourage your kids to share with you if they are not feeling well. Don’t treat their symptoms lightly and if required, take them to a doctor.
Family budgeting
It is very important to draw a budget for your family. COVID-19 has seen several people going through job losses and some are getting furloughed. Keeping in mind the current situation, it is best to save your penny and teach your kids the same.
While all of this sounds a bit grim, the fact is that there is some good news. Singapore does have the lowest coronavirus case fatality count, globally. In fact, the World Health Organisation (WHO) even praised Singapore last year for mitigating the spread of the virus with the help of early detection using contract tracing and adequate testing.
And now that vaccines are here, it may be easier to further bring this infection under control. (As you may know, Singapore started its COVID-19 vaccination exercise on December 30, 2020, with healthcare workers at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases the first to get the shots. About 379,000 people have since received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine as of March 7, 2021, said the Ministry. In the future, the country’s vaccination drive will include senior citizens, teachers, postal delivery agents, and migrant workers.)
However, at this point all that matters is safety and precaution. If we abide by rules and follow pandemic etiquettes and teach out kids the same, chances are they would be safe and back to their playgrounds— without worry.
Source: Unicef
ALSO READ:
Singapore Launches COVID-19 Online Symptom Checker