9 Apr 2020

Five tips for running a harmonious bubble

From Nine To Noon, 11:29 am on 9 April 2020

Parenting coach and educator Joseph Driessen shares his tips for running a harmonious household under lockdown.

He says the key is getting the family to work as a team, and for parents, that might mean listening more and speaking less.

Coronavirus theme. Mother with daughter. Family stay at home. Mother needs help.

Photo: 123RF

Be the captain of yourself and your ship

  • Look after yourself
  • Find a time and place to centre your yourself
  • Reflect and positive self-talk
  • Acknowledge what is difficult
  • Journal
  • Practice mindfulness / meditation / a walk / running etc

Look after your relationship with your partner

  • Work together: Care and maintain the relationship.
  • Engine room of a family = Core harmony and love of the parents
  • Children will then be deliriously happy too.

Work together to steer the ship

  • A (rough) for plan each week
  • A (rough) for plan Each day
  • Provide a basic structure
  • Good eating
  • Periods of rest and quiet
  • Freedom and play
  • Individual activities
  • Jointly coming together

2. A happy family runs itself.

1 Family is like a sailing boat, balanced and steers itself with constant little interventions

2 Find the rhythm of your family

3 Nudge towards harmony each day anew.

4 Accept the fluctuations and steady the ship

5 Every day is a new adventure

6 Leadership flexibility and problem solving.

3. Every member of your family is part of the crew

1 A place of their own

2 A series of jobs.

3 Coaching. Scaffolding. Delegation. Ownership. Reporting and coaching

4 Part of a team. Making contribution.

5 T.E.A.M motto: Together Everyone Achieves More.

6 Create a family charter, either informally or formally.

7 Manage each child individually

8 Then their relationships with others.

4. Practice your emotional intelligence skills each day.

1 Listen more and speak less.

2 Help your children to recognize, accept and honour, label and manage their emotions.

3 Coach socially acceptable way to express these emotions.

4 Show empathy and patience.

5. Facilitate independent play and learning (Learn what great parents and teachers do)

1 Facilitate your children to play / learn independently

2 All children have their own interests which you can build on

3 Activating their delight and imagination with a new world you introduce to them

4 Letting them process and build their interpretation of that new-found universe

5 Providing resources

6 Communicating and interacting about their play and learning

7 Balancing their activities with the need for order and tidying up

8 Finding the next chapter or starting again