Managing Routines, Mealtimes, and Screen Time
Managing Household Routines
As parents juggle caring for their child with other roles and responsibilities (e.g., preparing meals, working, or helping with homework), it may feel like there is not enough time in the day to complete everything you want to.
It is okay to lower your expectations of yourself and remove some things from your plate. Maybe the house is a little messier than usual, or you have leftovers more often during the week. It is also okay to ask for help from a partner, friend, or family member. Older children can also help with chores and meal preparation to lessen your workload. This can also help them learn important life skills.
It may help to create a routine that works for you and your family. Routines can help children know what to expect and help them feel safe, especially when they are included in some of the decision-making. This new routine can help your family set realistic expectations and can be as simple as:
- having regular wake-up and bedtimes,
- taking turns cooking and eating together when you can,
- planning some quality time with your child each day, such as a family walk,
- or sitting down and sharing something fun you each did during the day.
Managing Mealtimes
Maintaining routines around mealtimes for you and your family can be hectic at the best of times, and even more so during times of increased stress. Many families may experience financial concerns, which can further add to this stress.
When shopping for groceries, there are tips to help you lower costs and stick to a budget. You can stretch meals out by cooking more on one night, then using the leftovers for another meal. Various Community Food Programs in the KFL&A region are available to assist you and your family.
The following are some quick recipe ideas for you and your family:
- Bean Bruchetta Flatbread - Ontario Beans
- Family Favourite Spaghetti and Turkey Meatballs – Cookspiration - Dietitians of Canada
- Hurry-Up Fill-Me-Up Burritos - Cookspiration - Dietitians of Canada
- Tuna Grilled Cheese – unlockfood.ca - Dietitians of Canada
Managing family screen time
Children and adult’s screen time has drastically increased over the last couple of years. Some screen time can be beneficial for mental health, such as video chatting with friends and family members you cannot see in person. However, too much screen time can harm you and your child’s health. Try to limit the amount of time you and your family spend on screens.
Allow children to come up with activities to help break up long stretches of screen time. You can also try breaking up screen time with some of the following activities:
- Create oobleck (a substance that can change from liquid to solid and back again), using only water and cornstarch.
- Make 10 different paper crafts with Crafts for Kids.
- Make your own play dough, slime, bottle garden and more with fun DIY science experiments from the Ontario Science Centre.
- Play a simple game such as Simon says, red light green light, or freeze dance. This will also get you moving!
Resources
- COVID-19 Parenting: Structure Up - World Health Organization
- 20 ways to save money on your groceries - unlockfood.ca
- Children’s Nutrition: Cooking and meal planning - unlockfood.ca
- Canada’s Food Guide - Government of Canada