From Talk to Action
Photo © CobrisAs you adjust to new situations, it is natural to feel concerned about how your children are coping with change. You can help comfort everyone by involving the entire family as you prepare for and carry out any changes. Most importantly, you and your family can find new ways to meet your material and emotional needs and spend quality time together.
Maintain and Create Routines
Children are comforted by knowing what to expect throughout the day, especially during times of financial change.
- Try to keep to simple routines, such as reading a book to your preschooler before bedtime or playing a board game after dinner.
- If you cannot keep old routines, create new ones. For example, if you are no longer able to greet your children in the morning because you need to be out looking for work, take time each night to share stories from your day.
Everyone Can Pitch In
You can help empower the members of your family by giving each of them a special job to do. Together create a list of jobs that your children can do to help out.
- For young children, do activities such as helping with the laundry by putting all the socks together in pairs, putting away toys, or putting napkins at everyone’s place before a meal.
- For older children, do activities such as getting the mail, making the bed, or sweeping the floor. Each day, mark your family’s jobs for the day by putting a different-colored paper clip or sticky note by each child’s job on the list.
*Keep in mind that children should still be children. It is important to balance their time helping the family with playtime activities or quiet time.
Find more strategies, tips, and ideas for keeping your family together in the midst of change:
Families Stand Together™ developed by Sesame Workshop, with generous support from CPB.
