Social isolation, school/child care closures, financial and employment insecurity and housing instability has posed threats to families during the COVID-19 pandemic.¹ The psychological impact of this pandemic has resulted in declining mental health all around the world. Stress, anxiety and depression have been reported in Filipinos as well during the pandemic.² In these challenging times we can bring some much-needed positive energy to our life and strengthen family connections by engaging in conversations and activities with family members.¹

You can organize these activities for spending family time

If you have young children at home, you can combine physical activity with learning as it is both beneficial and fun. Enjoy educational games like-

1. Play a mathematics game by saying ‘jump 4+5 times’. You can also replace jumps with burpee. The number of times can also be decided with the roll of a dice.⁴

2. Count how many times each one of the family members can hit a balloon before it falls on the ground.⁴

3. Ask your child to spell out a word, and find objects in the house that begin with each of the letters as fast as they can.⁴

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If symptoms persist, consult your doctor.

References

1. Gadermann AC, Thomson KC, Richardson CG, et al. Examining the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on family mental health in Canada: findings from a national cross-sectional study. BMJ Open 2021;11:e042871.

2. Tee ML, Tee CA, Anlacan JP, et al. Psychological impact of COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines. J Affect Disord. 2020;277:379-391. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2020.08.043

3. https://www.unicef.org/coronavirus/6-ways-parents-can-support-their-kids-through-coronavirus-covid-19

4. https://blogs.bmj.com/bjsm/2020/04/13/physical-activity-for-children-and-young-people-aged-5-18-years-during-covid-19-stay-safe-be-active/

5. https://www.pittsburghparent.com/spending-time-together-benefits-of-family-time/

6. https://carersworldwide.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Quality-time-with-the-family-during-lockdown-quarantine.pdf