Taking Care Of The Family During Lockdown

Even the healthiest of families have had things pretty rough in 2020. Indeed, we have all had to deal with lockdowns, concerns about work, massive changes to education, and a vastly increased responsibility for personal hygiene and social distancing. Yet, despite all these challenges, it is still possible for families to thrive. In fact, you can find some strategies to help take care of your family in the best way possible during the pandemic below.  

Try some home baking.

Few things bring a family together better than some delicious baked goods. In fact, it’s not only enjoying the results of a fun baking session, but the actual activity can be a great boredom breaker as well. 

Savory items like homemade bread or crackers are a simple and easy way to start. Although sweeter treats like mince pies, and this yummy streusel bake, especially as we edge towards Christmas, are a great choice too. 

Encourage a routine.

Uncertainty has been one of the things that has plagued 2020. However, one way to combat this is to provide a routine for your family to keep to. Of course, the idea is that it provides them with valuable touch points during the day, some stability, and some regularity despite the changes. 

Routine mustn’t take over, though. Indeed, a too strict schedule will cause more stress than it relieves. Also, novel experiences are still crucial even if they primarily happen in the home, rather than outside of it. 

Take advantage of socially distanced opportunities.

Another way you can make sure your family is well taken care of is to take advantage of safe, socially distanced opportunities. Yes, I know that depending on their tier you are in, it isn’t always possible. However, in some situations, up to 6 people can meet (either outside or inside, depending on the tier). For many families, this means getting together with members that live outside of their household is possible, albeit in a modified way. 

Of course, getting together in this way is much easier if you live near your extended family members. With that in mind, you may wish to encourage relatives that live abroad to begin the process of getting full citizenship in the UK. Of course, to do this, they will have to go through several stages, including getting the all-important indefinite leave to remain UK status. This means they can live in the UK free from immigration control. Therefore making it much easier to see them in person, despite the current situation with the pandemic. 

Keep lines of communication open.

Kids tend to be reasonably resilient, especially when they are provided with a new routine to follow. However, the pandemic has been incredibly stressful on them in many ways. 

With that in mind, allowing your little ones to ask questions about the pandemic, the rules by which we are expected to live, and to discuss their emotions is crucial. Indeed, setting aside some regular family meeting time for discussions like this can help to keep everyone as sane and as happy as possible during lockdown.