Staying Sane at home with your Kiddos: For families with older children and teens
At Autism Calgary we know COVID-19 is causing challenges for everyone in the community. We also know that families in our ASD community have some very unique challenges that come with staying home with their kids and getting through these unprecedented times.
An American mom living in Italy wrote a wonderfully honest post about her experience in quarantine with her husband and two kids. Check it out here.
We wanted to share this quote from the blog to let all the parents (moms and dads) out there know that although it might be a tough few weeks or months for all of us – together, we will get through this:
I want to let you know that if you find yourself in a similar situation in a few weeks, you’re going to get through it. But, I actually hate when people tell me I am going to get through it. Of course I am! I’m a mom, which means I’m a member of the strongest subgroup in the human race! So scratch that. Instead, I’ll tell you this: It’s going to be terrible. Sure you can do it, but it’s OK to feel like it’s truly the worst of times.
Easy & Fun activities to keep everyone busy and happy
A great post about how to maintain a schedule at home to help your child on the autism spectrum through school closures due to COVID-19. Also includes lots of ideas for fun activities with educational ones too! https://www.themomkind.com/autism-and-coronavirus-quarantine-how-to-manage-the-daily-routine/
A list of fun activities for bored teens. This list was written before the Corona Virus so a few of the activities may not be possible – but there are still some great ideas such as starting to work on their Halloween Costumes (or even making their younger siblings Halloween costumes). https://www.empoweredsinglemoms.com/fun-activities-for-teens-when-bored/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=pinterest&utm_campaign=tailwind_tribes&utm_content=tribes&utm_term=378049980_12311724_304303
Looking for physical activities to do inside? Maybe challenge your teen to learn a new style of dance with the help of youtube?
Try Tap Dancing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LH_EyxsupRE&feature=youtu.be
Or Rock it Old School with some 80s moves: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJp3SePr9dg&feature=youtu.be
Activities for Home Schooling:
With kid’s home from school many parents are feeling the pressure to homeschool their children. We want to assure parents that we know this can seem like a monumental task – just do your best and try to not put too much pressure on yourself or your kids.
Here are a few website with some activities and ideas that are educational and keep your teens learning and thinking throughout their time at home:
The CBE has a Learning at Home Guide. On the site they state that
“This webpage offers a variety of educational ideas to support literacy, numeracy and wellness at home. The resources are meant as suggestions only. You may choose to use the links and activities as needed over the next few days as more long-term educational programming is considered. ”
https://cbe.ab.ca/programs/curriculum/learning-at-home/Pages/default.aspx
A lot of online learning sites are having sales on their courses at the moment. One example is Udemy – a great opportunity for your teen or child to gain some extra skills that might look good on a resume or just find interesting and fun!
Or here is a list of other online learning websites similar to Udemy:
https://filmora.wondershare.com/screen-recording-tips/udemy-alternatives-online-learning-sites.html
Curio.ca is a subscription-based educational streaming platform targeting educational institutions from primary through to post-secondary levels across Canada. You can now access thousands of programs, documentaries, audio content and archival material from CBC/Radio-Canada on a provisional basis. And it is now being provided FOR FREE due to the Corona Virus.
New from CBC, Podcasts in Class is a way for teachers to bring podcasts into their classrooms, with custom-made lesson plans, slides, handouts, homework and even videos featuring our hosts. These curriculum packages, written and vetted by teachers who work in a variety of school boards across Canada, are easily adaptable to different courses and curriculums.
These free Podcasts cover super interesting topics such as “How will we fix climate change?” or ” The Secret Life of ChinaTown”.
https://curio.ca/en/collection/cbc-podcasts-in-class-2738/
Check out these videos of authors talking about their latest books through the Canada Reads 2020 site! There is also teacher guide, along with book excerpts and backgrounders for the 2020 books.
https://curio.ca/en/collection/canada-reads-2020-2566/
Lessons and Activities organized by grade level: https://classroommagazines.scholastic.com/support/learnathome.html?fbclid=IwAR31_QqE8Ky8hi4EAhIrpcuMlMlzZ6qmvYc47DGtznalLnuHOhXzvo0QoFo
Virtual Tours of 12 famous museums around the world: https://www.travelandleisure.com/attractions/museums-galleries/museums-with-virtual-tours?fbclid=IwAR3or6N7wbfjxM5O3zoBfTIlhuldwAtFX8kzn3GCLjGmgkWE46b9RWDQEJc
Are your kids (or you) feeling anxious about the COVID-19 situation?
Here are a few resources to help with that:
A video about helping children manage their anxiety related to COVID-19: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocddWZuLYbw&feature=youtu.be&mc_cid=05e9199e36&mc_eid=55fd398915&fbclid=IwAR2VXJsj7AvyWP7BjRMxe3oPlxDIKyiHlqjS8s-xHDI2kIgzeAOVIIsoK3s
Check out the CBE’s guide to talking to children about COVID-19
Music and art can also be a great way to calm the nerves and express our feelings (for both adults and kids). JB music therapy in Calgary is offering online music therapy. https://www.jbmusictherapy.com/online-music-therapy/?fbclid=IwAR0dAeFQsI6WwXtc2rZ7bIhhdgVX1_EiBrn1cqAUSSBHK38oHPN8tJeYTJc
Well on the bright side…at least Christmas shopping might be a bit simpler this year…
