It is no surprise that the situation that we came face to face with as a society this year has thrown many curveballs our way. From international boarder closures, inter-state boarder closures and even restrictions intra-state on where we can travel. As a whole this has been inconvenient however for the most part, we, as a society have understood why the restrictions are in place. Unfortunately, though there has been a silent victim in these restrictions and that has been the arrangements that have been put into place for the time with our children.
Whilst the worst of it may be over here in Australia, I wanted to give you 3 options on what you can do if you and more importantly your children are still impacted by this pandemic.
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Increase the Face Time or Skype Calls
If you are still unable to physically spend time together because of the boarder restrictions do what you can to increase the time you spend with each other on FaceTime, Skype or any other video call service. Being able to see each other, hear each other and still interact that way can be a great way to maintain your bond. It may be clunky at the start but you can still do great things together during these calls such as:
- Reading
- Playing board games
- Playing cards
- Drawing
The list is endless if you put your mind to it. At the end of the day, it is all about adapting and overcoming what has been thrown our way.
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Talk about changing the way that you spend time together
If you are supposed to be spending time over school holidays and you still won't be able to - talk to the other parent and your boss about what you may be able to do come 2021. Perhaps you can have more time than if it is practicable or maybe you need to look at relocating for a short period so that you can fit in with your child's routine once this is all over. It may be inconvenient for you; it may be impracticably but if 2020 has shown us anything it is that remote working is possible and time with our families is precious.
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Mediation
If you have an arrangement in place that could work but, for whatever reason isn't, consider mediation as an option for you. Sometimes it is important to have that conversation to talk about people's fears and concerns so that we can overcome the hurdle that can appear insurmountable. Don't just shrug off the other parent's concerns as being overprotective or obtrusive. Remember, COVID-19 is new for everyone and how each of us handle this pandemic may be different - now more than ever is a time for understanding and communication.
We can help you with organising a mediation if you need one. All you need to do is book in a time for a free chat with Lorrie here.