Lockdown Lessons Lifetime Learnings

My son went to a nature-oriented Montessori school in Chennai. When we moved to Canada last year, he missed that style of education and struggled to cope with traditional schooling. I saw that he had lost the joy of learning. But there was little I could do. Then the lockdown happened. I have never really considered home-schooling my child as I felt I never had the patience for it. The Covid-induced lockdown changed my perspective. I wasnt left with an option. I delved head-on into Montessori-style, cosmic education. Now, my seven-year-old son does attend virtual classes conducted by his school to learn his math and language here in Canada. But he also has time for arts, crafts, and other nature activities like star-gazing and bird-watching. We have found our perfect balance! This wouldnt have happened if not for the lockdown. I realise now that I can indeed make a small difference to my sons education if I set my heart to it.Thank you, lockdown.

COVID-19 has forced all of us into a situation that we could have never imagined before. With the children staying at home all day, it is not easy to remain calm. However, its not really a doomsday scenario for many of us! For me and my child, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. We wanted to hear from other parents about their valuable learnings and cherished memories from this lockdown. Here, we present a compilation of the responses. Learn along as you read:

Alpana Jain, Mother of two (age: 8 and 5 years), Toronto

Parenting is not just ensuring that your children are doing well in studies or sports. It is equally about inculcating valuable life skills. And time management is an extremely useful skill to build. During this lockdown, I have tried to ensure that the whole family follows a daily routine. My children have a timetable, and I have been teaching them the importance of keeping aside time for all their activities without compromising on rest and relaxation. I also have fixed times for meals, and my children help me with cooking and setting up the table. When children help you with house chores, it becomes an enjoyable activity for the whole family, and it also saves you time. With proper time management, we have been able to spend a lot of quality time together.

Shankari Gomathinayagam, Mother of two (age: 10 and 6 years), Chennai

This lockdown has made me realise that anything other than roti, kapda aur makaan is a luxury in life. I have realised that life can be fulfilling with minimal things. As a parent, I want to teach my children the importance of this minimalistic approach to life. We have started coming up with creative ways to reuse and recycle old stuff in our stationery and wardrobe. Coming to my childrens screen-time, it took a little bit of time for me to streamline it. But now, we have a mix of structured activities and unstructured play, and a mix of rules and freedom, and everyones happy.

Saravanan, Father of two (age: 10 years and 1 year), Toronto

Thanks to Covid-19, parenting has become a full-time duty! I usually love parenting, but now, I have been finding it hard to manage the kids indoors all the time. All of us miss our space. But my children have learnt one good thing, which is family means togetherness. They have also realised that conflicts are inevitable. What matters is learning to listen, analysing the conflict, working together, and agreeing to disagree.

Thara Selvakumar, mother of a seven-year-old, Chennai

I have been using this lockdown to get my son to enjoy the simple pleasures of life, like admiring nature and watching birds and animals from our balcony. We have started enjoying our household chores, reading books and learning together. I understand that time is precious, and the time we get to spend with our family is valuable. Another important thing that I would like my child to remember always is that health is the greatest wealth. This is something all of us know, but take for granted. So, I am teaching my son the importance of a nutritious diet and good hygiene.

Kavitha Arun, Mother of two, (age: 8 years and 6 months), Toronto

I have always felt guilty about not spending quality time with my eight-year-old son due to my tight work schedule and commitments at home. But this slowing down from the daily race has been so impactful. I realise it was much needed for us! Now, I am able to exercise with him in the morning, play indoor games, teach him a bit of spirituality, and do a bit of homeschooling. I also recently discovered that my son enjoys baking and playing with this Lego. He is very interested in knowing about scientific inventions. So, I am spending time with him on all these activities and both of us are having fun! Also, since my son is home all day, he is bonding really well with his baby sister.

Now, lets hear from a proud dad about how the lockdown has completely transformed his son in a good way!

Sundar, Father of a 14-year-old, Mumbai

Last month, I faced a 50% pay cut because of the current economic situation, and I was stressed about it. My 14-year-old son, Sudarshan Ganesh, was quite concerned about my distress and offered to help in any way he could. I was touched. Around the same time, I received a call from a friend of mine, who runs an NGO. He wanted to know if I knew someone good at web design and he added that this was a paid project. My son overheard our conversation and said he would like to try his hand at web designing. I was surprised and asked him if he had any knowledge about it. His answer was No. But he added that he had a CD titled How to make a website, and that he would like to try creating a website for my friend. My son was confident and I didnt want to disappoint him. So, I asked him to go ahead, though honestly, I didnt believe he could manage it.

He worked continuously for a week, staying up until 3 a.m. The CD wasnt enough to fully guide my son, so he turned to some online videos to equip himself with the necessary knowledge. And within a week, he confirmed that he could indeed create the website for my friend. In another three to four days, the website was ready! My joy knew no bounds. My son earned his first salary, which he handed over to me, in the hope that it would at least partially compensate for the pay-cut I faced. Of course, I handed most of it back to my son. He then posted an ad on OLX (online marketplace) offering his web design services, and he got a few clients. I am so happy that my son has used this lockdown to learn a new skill. He used to spend all his time playing computer games or creating funny videos online. But now, it is all being productively spent on web-designing. He is focussed, responsible and driven. What more can I ask for!

Thats nice to hear, right? This lockdown has given us great opportunities to bond and have fun, learn new skills, appreciate the little joys of life, and invest time in the emotional, social and intellectual development of our children. We would love to hear how this slowing down has been treating you and your family. Email your responses to editorial@parentcircle.in.

AARTHI ARUN IS A FREELANCE WRITER FROM CHENNAI, WHO NOW CALLS TORONTO HER HOME.