RELEVANT CHILDREN'S MINISTRY: #coronavirus

Showing posts with label #coronavirus. Show all posts

Parenting Tips During the Pandemic

10:45 AM Dale Hudson

As the pandemic continues, kids who attend traditional schools are dismissed for the rest of the school year in most cases.

This means children are staying with parents, grandparents and other family members during the time they would normally be at school.

Parenting in this situation is not easy to say the least. It can be stressful and memorable at the same time.

As children's ministry leaders, we have a great opportunity to come alongside parents and their families and offer support and encouragement. Here are some parenting tips to share with parents.

If you have more than one child, spend time with each child individually. Set aside the same time each day to do this. Your children need one-on-one time with you.

Take a cue from your children. Ask they what they would like to do and make it happen if it's feasible.

Play games and have fun with your children.

If you have a baby or toddler:

Sing songs, make music with pots and spoons.
Stack cups or blocks.
Tell a story or read a book.

If you have a preschooler:

Read a book.
Make drawings with crayons or pencils.
Dance to music or sing songs.
Do a chore together – make cleaning and cooking a game.

If you have a elementary age child:

Cook a favorite meal together.
Do a craft together.
Build a blanket fort.
Play board games together.
Put a puzzle together.

Keep smiling. Use positive words when telling your child what to do. Instead of saying "get this junky mess cleaned up" say "please clean your room up."

When communicating: Don't shout. Speak in a calm voice. Get their attention by using their name.

Compliment them when they do something well. This will help them see you care and you notice their work.

Create new routines. The virus has temporarily taken away much of our normal routines. Children need routines, especially during a time of crisis. Put in place some new routines they can follow. And let them help you make the new routines.

Get them exercising. This can help burn some energy and stress. A few examples are jumping jacks, burpees, running in place, etc. There are also lots of free exercise routines on the web for kids and their parents.

Reassure your child. Talk about how you are keeping them safe. Ask them for ideas on how they can stay safe.

Be open and listen to your children. Your children will look to you for support and reassurance. Listen to your children when they share how they are feeling. Give them comfort. Your child may be scared or confused. Give them space to share how they are feeling and let them know you are there for them.

Teach them to wash their hands regularly.

See who can touch their face the least number of touches. Make it a game and reward the winner.

Remember, you must set the example. Keep safe distances. Wipe things down with cleaner. Keep a positive attitude. Resist the urge to complain. If you give off a vibe of worry, anger, uncertainty or fear, your children will follow that line of thinking as well.

Children are going to sometimes misbehave when they are tired, hungry, afraid or learning independence. And that is not easy to deal with when you're with them all day. Take a deep breath and keep your sanity.

Redirect their attention when needed. If you see your child getting restless and bored with what they are doing, redirect them to something else that will hold their attention.

Stay calm. Take a 10 second pause and breathe in and out slowly five times. This will help you calm down when you've reached your limit. This is a stressful time. Take care of yourself so you can care for your children in return. Taking a pause can also be helpful when you find your child is irritating you or has done something wrong. It gives you a chance to be calmer.

Find a friend you can talk with. Millions of people are going through this just as you are. Find someone that you can talk with over the phone. What are they personally doing to cope? What routines or activities are they doing with their kids?

Talk with your children about what is happening. Be honest and open. How much you share should be age appropriate. Allow your child to talk freely. Ask them open-ended questions and kind out how much they already know. Answer honestly.

After a conversation about the virus, switch to a game, activity or something fun to help them avoid getting stressed out by dwelling on the virus and its effect.

This is uncharted territory for most of us. Pray for parents as you share tips and insights about parenting during this time of crisis.

Your turn. What are some other tips or ways you are helping parents walk through this with their children? Share them in the comment section below.

How the Coronavirus is Affecting Children

10:12 AM Dale Hudson

Can you imagine being a kid right now? In the midst of a world-wide pandemic? Wondering what is going to happen? Adjusting to a new schedule and scenario where you don't go to the physical school building. Afraid someone you love might be taken from you by death? Having to maintain contact with your relatives via Skype instead of in person?

It's a new, unfamiliar world out there for kids right now.

And one question that needs to be asked is this.

What effects will this have on kids long-term?

As they grow up, having lived through this, how will it weigh in on the next generation's world-view of life, relationships, academics and the general sense of how we live our lives in today's postmodern world?

As doctors work with kids who have the virus or kids whose family, friends or other acquaintances have the virus, it reveals first and foremost that kids need safe, stable and nurturing relationships.

Dr. Rahil Briggs, the national director of Healthy Steps, a nonprofit that supports the well being of babies and toddlers, says this...

'It is unlikely the vast majority of children who come from stable homes will be affected negatively by the pandemic in the long term."

Sherrie Westin, president of social impact for Sesame Street says, "The most important thing for children is to have caring adults that they are engaged with."

First and foremost, I believe these studies show that they every child needs a caring, loving adult who knows their name, prays for them and protects them.

And who should that adult be? The child's parents. Like never before, children need their parents to be the biggest part of their life.

Studies were done for kids who were were separated from their parents during the World War II bombings in London. The children who were shipped away (to keep them safe from the bombings in London) were more insecure than those who stayed with their parents...even while being bombed.

Another biggie is all the kids who are missing school. Education leaders are working toward online learning. This is good news for kids who come from more afluent households. But for kids who already live in poverty, this can be a challenge. In many instances, the children don't have access to the tools needed for online learning.

Dr. Richard Carranza, the school chancellor for New York City schoolers says an estimated 300,000 children in New York City alone do not have the tablets or computers it requires.

And Betsy Zorio, VP of programs and advocacy for the Save the Children organization, says that poor children can be up to three years behind affuent kids because of summer learning loss. Imagine adding to that the impact of school closures from the conronavirus. It may cause the education gap to widen even more.

These challenges are opportunities for the church to be the church. Of course, no one or no organization can replace the nurturing and loving that a child receives from his or her parents.

But we can step in with meals, shelter, clothing and other means of bringing some stability back to their lives. And we encourage and equip parents on how to care for their children during these times of instability.

For children who are blessed with living in a stable home, this period won't be easy for them and their parents either. They may experience anxiety and find this experience very challenging.

Here are some tips.

Number one - stay on a routine. Kids are more secure within the confines of their schedules and daily routines. For those who are doing online or home schooling, stick with your normal learning schedule.

Number two - show them affection. Let them know that you love them. Churches can also help with this by equipping their volunteers who work with kids on how to best minister to them. Every child needs a spiritual guide who can look them in the eyes and say, "God is with you. He loves you. He will never leave you nor forsake you."

Stay updated on changing procedures and policies. The pandemic can change by the hour. Check your state and local situations on a regular basis.

Continue practicing social distancing during this time. This means sticking close to home and avoiding large groups of people. Play dates should not be scheduled during this time as well.

Avoid public spaces like playgrounds. The virus can live on metal, glass and plastic surfaces for up to nine days. Instead, go to big, wide-open parks for solo outdoor play, like riding a bike.

How long should they wash their hands? Tell them to sing "Happy birthday to you" twice while washing their hands.

Hand sanitizer - make sure it's at least 60% alcohol and let it fully dry before you touch anything.

Know what to watch for. Signs of the coronavirus include fever, dry cough, mild fever, runny nose and soar throat. If these symptoms appear, call your pediatrician first before going anywhere.

Even in the hardest times, God is at work in our lives. Our children are watching us to see how we will respond to this crisis. Much of how it will affect them will be based on how we let it affect us.

We know this to be true...

"Kids don't always do what we ask them to do, but they never fail to imitate who we are."

Now is the time to step up to the plate. Now is the time to show kids how to trust in God. Now is the time to ask God for wisdom. Now is the time to lead by example.

Answering Kids' Questions About Why God is Allowing the Coronavirus to Happen

6:08 AM Dale Hudson

Today's kids face situations that many of us never faced when we were kids.

School shootings.

Terrorist attacks.

Church shootings.

Tsunami's and other natural disasters.

And now they face the Coronavirus.

It's important to prepare yourself to have conversations with children about what is happening.

One of the questions you may be called upon to answer is this...

WHY is God allowing this to happen?

This is a difficult and challenging question to answer - especially if it's a kid who is asking. It can get complicated.

And let me say this. I believe as parents and church leaders, we must be prepared to answer these types of questions. We must be proactive and walk with our kiddos through difficult times...having age appropriate conversations about what's happening.

If we are not strategic about answering these questions, we run the risk of seeing kids turn away from the faith when they are older. Teaching kids apologetics is more needed and crucial than ever before.

A prime example of this is Brad Pitt. He great up in a conservative, Baptist family that went to church faithfully. According to Brad's own words in an interview with a magazine, he said when he turned around the age of 13, he started having questions. Questions like many kids will be asking about the coronavirus.

No one at the time gave Brad any answers that made sense to him. As he got older and left home, he turned his back on the faith he had been raised in and now says he is an agnostic.

Please, please, please don't brush off the tough questions with kids. They want to own their faith and believe for themselves. That's the context they are asking the questions from.

Let's look at some points you can use to explore this question with kids.

Why is God allowing the coronavirus to spread and kill people?

First, ask the child what is happening and ask how he or she feels about it.   This will give you a good sense of how much they already know and you can correct any misconceptions they may have.

Ask the child to be honest about their fears. Are they afraid? Are they stressed? Are they worried? What do they know or understand about the virus at this point?

Listen to the child and be emphatic with any concerns he or she may have. Keep a calm voice. Let the child know you are there to help protect them and keep them safe and healthy. Let them know lots of people like scientists and doctors are working to keep us safe.

Keep a positive attitude. Be honest and don't bring a doom and gloom attitude. Keep the updates about what is happening to a minimum. If you constantly talk about it, it can begin to feel like impending doom is about to happen. Less is more for some kids when talking about something of this magnitude.

Keep balance in your conversation. Share what is happening, but also share the proactive things that are being done and specifically what they can do to help. Remind them they can take steps like washing their hands, not sharing drinks, etc.

Then move into why this is happening.

God created the world as a perfect place. Originally there was no pain, sickness, suffering or natural disasters.

God gave us the opportunity to love Him. He didn't make us like robots. He wanted us to choose to love Him.

God gave us the freedom to love Him or not. This is because without the freedom to choose there is no true love.

And with that freedom, Adam and Eve made the decision to disobey God. When this happened, the world became a different place where there was suffering, pain and disasters. In Genesis chapter 4, we see the first murder take place. The sin caused the world to become a broken place.

We still live in a broken world and with that still comes sicknesses and diseases like the coronavirus.

But He also loved us so much that He sent His Son, Jesus, into this broken world, so that one day we could have a perfect place to live again. When we accept Jesus' gift of forgiveness, we will live forever in a place where there is no longer any death, suffering, viruses or pain.

And while we wait for Jesus to return, we have a promise that God is always with us. Since right now we still live in the broken world, bad things happen at times to everyone. It's part of living in this broken world. But God has promised to never leave us nor forsake us. He is with us in the good times and the bad times. He is always, always, always there to love us and speak peace to our heart.

When bad things like the virus happens, we want God to wave a magic wand and make the virus go away immediately. But it's not always like that. Sometimes we have to go through the tough times like everyone else. But the difference for us as believers is the fact that Jesus is with us and understands how we feel. He also felt hurt and pain when He died on the cross for our sins.

As followers of Jesus, we also have other believers who can encourage us and walk with us through the tough times. That's why it is so important to stay connected to a church and have friends there who can help us and guide us. That's what the church does. We support and care for each other.

We can also think about all the good things God allows to happen to us as well. We have food to eat, a place to sleep, people around us who love us and so many other great blessings God brings to us.

Our prayer is that we can raise children who have a deep faith that trusts in God in the good times and the "bad" times that come with living in this world.