Schools are being closed around the country. For the moment the ACT Education Directorate is leaving it to individual schools to make the decision, and relying on students or staff members who are at risk or test positive to self-quarantine.
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But the best way to limit the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus is to distance people - meaning some school closures are inevitable sooner or later.
The ABC's Dr Norman Swan wants state and territory education directorates to take advantage of Easter and extend the holidays.
Closing schools will have social impacts. Parents can consider taking holidays if they have leave options. Closures mean someone needs to be home with the kids, at least with the younger ones; an adult who is likely having to work remotely (and unlikely to rely on grandparents given they are in a high-risk group).
It's a recipe for compulsive screen use by children. After all, children copy what they see. They'll be seeing an adult on a screen.
Here are some tips to avoid the worst of screen addiction.
Break up online learning
Ask for some homework options that get kids experimenting in the real and material world.
Encourage breaks from online learning. Turn on the radio or music (give repetitive news a miss). Dance around the room.
And take breaks yourself, to even briefly connect with your kids.
Revel in the chance to read paper books
Read aloud. Share what you read at school and enjoyed, and stock up on books from your local library, assuming it remains open.
Evidence suggests that paper reading is deeper. Fiction is especially good for forgetting ourselves and gaining perspective.
Create a reading-friendly "nook" with good light. And think about audio books.
Stock up on games, crafts and ingredients
Scoop up some new board games or decks of cards and get low-cost art supplies.
Encourage the kids to keep a visual diary about their time "in quarantine". Turn new visual art into a mini art show; anything to channel anxious energy!
Plus we all need to eat. Ensure there's a supply of basic cooking materials for children to create everything from rhubarb crumble to bread. Learn new recipes together.
Go outside, or discover the garden
Chlorinated pools are pretty safe, if they are open. Walking is very safe. We've got lots of space. Spending time in green spaces - gardens, parks, forests - can rejuvenate the mental resources that indoor environments deplete.
At home, you can give children small jobs and encourage them to grow their own plants. It's wonderfully sensory, and literally grounding. Getting into the dirt is a change from the mind-numbing neatness of the screen.
Don't fear boredom
Our online culture robs us of time to just be, time without the need to perform, consume information or compete. We crave distraction, but we didn't always. Don't worry so much about keeping children entertained. Tell them that boredom is okay. It's a different sort of zoning out. It might inspire new things.
It takes a village
Appreciate that other families are going through the same thing and see how you can collaborate to help each other out.
Invite the bigger kids to think about how they might help older neighbours who can't get around, be it getting the groceries or walking pets. Invite them also to teach younger neighbours, whether it's how to write a song or do maths.
Get children together for board games - even television, which is a different kind of screen experience, and communal if programs are watched together.
Talk about what's happening
Share what you know, but limit use of social media where anger and misinformation can spiral. Panic can breed panic.
If you are changing rules about screen time, technology, or anything else, talk to your child about why you are doing it without raising the temperature. Asking your child to unplug from devices is more likely to work if you do it too, at least at times.
And set aside "worry time" to talk to your children and share their concerns before the lights go out. It'll help you too.
- Toni Hassan is an artist, the author of Families in the Digital Age (Hybrid) and an associate fellow with The Australia Institute's Centre for Responsible Technology.
- For information on COVID-19, please go to the ACT Health website or federal Health Department's website.
- You can also call the Coronavirus Health Information Line on 1800 020 080
- If you have serious symptoms, such as difficulty breathing, call Triple Zero (000)
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