By Justin RouillonThursday 19 Mar 202096five AfternoonsParentingReading Time: 2 minutes
We’ve heard a lot about self-isolation and social distancing over the past few weeks, but how can we keep our family connection intact as we battle the coronavirus pandemic?
Brett Ryan is the CEO of Focus on the Family and told 96five’s Tim Charles that the outbreak can be really confusing for children, but sticking to routines can help.
Listen to the interview with Brett Ryan in the audio player above.
“Keep things as normal as possible, do things like you normally would do; normality is the key.”
With the coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic reaching saturation point in the media, Brett said that it was important for parents to shield their kids from some of the reports.
“Don’t overexpose your kids to all the news; we have to restrict that as it’s been very confusing. We really need to make sure they listen to one voice only.”
Keeping that family connection strong throughout this crisis will be imperative, especially for families who have to self-isolate, or in the event of a lockdown. With the family living on top of each other there is the opportunity for tensions to rise, alongside the already uncertain nature of a global pandemic. Brett says that it’s important to remember that golden rule of putting others first.
“Show grace, be kind, encourage the kids to be outward focused. If we start becoming more insular, we can become more anxious. When we start thinking outwards, that’s a positive thing for our humanity and our community. We saw the very best of us during the fires and the floods and we’ve seen the worst of us over toilet paper. We need to make sure we rise to the occasion, and we can role model that to our kids.”