In a recent talk titled “Raising Your Child During Quarantine,” early childhood development expert Sari Bernardo-Lee, discussed practical tips to equip parents with the tools needed to ensure their kids’ holistic development despite the restrictions posed by the public health crisis. The talk is part of the “How to Do Everything Again Differently,” a week-long campaign, organized by EpiMetrics, Inc. and the National Resilience Council, in cooperation with SM Prime Holdings, Inc., that aimed to educate the public on how they can stay safe, while living a full life in the new normal.
Below are 6 practical tips and tools for parents to help their children grow, learn and enjoy their childhood in these unusual times.
1. Go back to basics. The home has always been the first place where children learn. The role of parents as a child’s first teacher has never been more important than during this pandemic. But there is no need for expensive toys and learning tools. Simple activities can be quite effective teaching tools. For toddlers, it can be as simple as supervised play with water to develop sensory learning or having indoor picnics. For older children, SM’s Toy Kingdom offers parents on a budget a wide range of toys that promote mental stimulation such as board games, hula hoops, play dough and building blocks, to name a few. Check out The SM Store for more finds.
Pull-up radish memory game for kids (left), Milestone shape sorter early learning toy for toddlers (right) available at Toy Kingdom.
Playgo rainbow stackin’ cups (left), and Play Doh kitchen creations milk n’ cookies set dough (right) available at Toy Kingdom
2. Use what you have at home as learning props. Parents can use items at home as teaching aids. Counting cups or bars of soap can work while teaching basic math. Reading to kids encourages conversations about the stories to develop their listening and language skills. Parents can get their kids involved in the kitchen, doing simple tasks such as mixing and measuring ingredients to hone their cognitive and fine motor skills. Baking, for example, is a fun way to learn these skills. Ingredients and baking supplies can easily be purchased at your favorite SM mall. Selling their baked goods is a good entrepreneurship lesson to learn early on.
Check out these awesome baking mix and tools at All About Baking in select SM Supermalls. Visit Shopmag to discover more awesome finds at SM.
3. Assign a place to learn and play. Designate a “yes” place where children can play and learn. Once kids enter this space, this signals that it’s time for their daily learning activities and all other activities outside of learning should be somewhere else. A dedicated space can be for learning and for having fun. To start building their “educational corner”, check out SM Stationery at The SM Store or visit Papemelroti in select SM Supermalls for items such as books, arts and crafts supplies, and writing tools.
Bond with your kids through arts and crafts. Grab your supplies from Papemelroti in select SM Supermalls. Check out Shopmag for more bonding ideas with your loved ones.
4. Set a daily routine for learn and play activities. Following a structured schedule for learn and play promotes consistency when teaching kids at home. Have a predictable routine so kids feel a sense of order and normalcy, even if they are confined at home. One way to do so is by establishing daily chores but be sure to make it enjoyable for them: play fun music while sweeping the floors or while organizing their toys and personal things. The SM Store has countless kinds of baskets, boxes and crates for organizing and easy clean-up.
Organize toys with these storage boxes available at The SM Store
5. Limit screen time when having online classes. Online classes have taken the place of physical classrooms for learning, but this doesn’t mean they should spend a lengthy amount of time online daily. Ensure a kid’s holistic development by combining online and physical learning modules, where they learn not only through a screen but also in real life. Gardening can teach them about nature and cultivating plants —from sowing the seeds, watering them, to giving the plants proper sun exposure and watching them grow. Make the experience more fun by making sure they have proper gardening tools which are available at ACE Hardware - from small shovels, garden gloves, pots, fertilizers and potting mixes.
Start gardening with this 5-piece garden tool set available at Ace Hardware
6. Make learn and play for kids a team effort. Teaching isn’t the sole responsibility of the mom. Get dad involved! Practical life hacks such as how to change a flat tire, plug a water leak, learning the usage of different tools and simple computer fixes can be dad’s modules. Ace Hardware, car and bike shops, and a myriad of gadget stores at SM Cyberzone are good places to start.
With these simple tips, your child’s holistic development even in a pandemic doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Now is actually the best time to bond with the kids, and read to them, listen to their stories and yes, even to teach them very practical life hacks that they will thank you for later in life.
You can get all these and more at The SM Store . Stay at home and have these delivered to you by placing your orders via Viber, Facebook Messenger or SM’s Call to Deliver hotline #143SM (#14376). Check this link to find out more: CallToDeliver
Check out also SM Malls Online Beta App. Currently available for SM Megamall, North EDSA and Mall of Asia. Download SM Malls Online Beta app for more awesome finds for you and your kids. For all other SM Malls, you can also order via our personal shopper partners by calling SM Customer Care at 88761111 or by sending a Viber message at 09228761111.
To know more about how you can develop your child holistically, watch the entire webinar on YouTube
