Because of the coronavirus, the world is in a state of anxiety and panic. Schools and various businesses have closed down to prevent as many people as possible from becoming sick. Even if every state isn’t on lockdown, it’s highly recommended that you stay at home. With kids being at home, it’s going to be tempting for them to fall right into their typical vacation routine. They’re going to be wanting to stay up an hour or two past their school night bedtime. They no longer have to wake up early in the morning. Because of this virus lockdown, their summer vacation has started two months early.

Keep the Bedtime Routine

Even though kids are no longer in school, there should still be some kind of bedtime routine set in place. Getting enough sleep is important for kids. And since this virus is keeping everyone quarantined inside their homes, sleep is also helpful to get through this mentally challenging time. Whether a kid is sleeping on stomach or side on their favorite mattress, they can get cranky without a structured bedtime routine.

Say No to Friends

One precaution to keep this virus from spreading is to stay at home unless you’re in need of essential supplies. Now that spring is here, kids are going to be wanting to be outside. Fresh air is just as important for our mental health as sleep is. It’s important to make sure they’re staying in their yard and keeping their distance from people in the neighborhood. They’re likely going to want to run around with any friends they have in the neighborhood. This normally would be perfectly fine, but you’re going to have to tell them no. Germs spread easily with kids, and it’s currently an inconvenient time to be getting sick. If you have young kids, you may decide to supervise them while they’re outside. Five-year-olds won’t fully understand there’s a virus loose and will try to run off to play with their friends.

Everybody Needs to Sanitize

Sanitizing is important in general, but it has become especially important during this coronavirus pandemic. Kids typically have to be reminded to wash their hands after using the restroom or playing outside. They also need to learn how to be thorough with washing their hands. During this pandemic, it’s recommended that you scrub your hands with soap for twenty to thirty seconds. Keep an eye out to be sure they’re fully lathering and scrubbing their hands with soap for up to thirty seconds. Although it may seem a bit excessive, it’s better to stay safe and healthy.

Cover Up

When kids cough or sneeze, they don’t think to cover their mouth or nose. If they have a runny nose, they’ll likely wipe at their nose with their hand without a second thought. Now that spring is here, it’s allergy season. Make sure that they cover up their mouth with their sleeve if they cough. Make sure they use a tissue of some kind to sneeze or wipe at a runny nose.

Explain the Reasons Why

With no school, kids will want to go out to places such as the park or go out for ice cream. They may even want to visit a friend’s house. They may not fully understand the concept of social distancing to keep a virus from spreading. Explain to them why they should be staying at home in a reassuring way.

Younger kids are still learning about proper hygiene. We don’t want them to be overly worried or frightened about a virus that doesn’t have a cure yet. We can only hope this pandemic will be over in a month or two. These school closings aren’t exactly the same as the typical spring break and summer vacation. Despite this, we should be keeping kids on a consistent, structured routine. Once this pandemic ends and life returns back to normal, we don’t want it to be too much of a struggle to get kids back into a regular routine. They should still be getting a decent amount of sleep every night. Most parents aren’t going to want their kids getting used to staying up half the night and sleeping into the afternoon.