My Kid on Lockdown
When the Singapore government put the nation on lockdown for the COVID-19 pandemic, the first thing that came to mind was “I need to hit the supermarket and start stocking up.” The second thing that came to mind… we’re gonna be stuck at home with the kid – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week… for 4 weeks, possibly 8. Now don’t get me wrong, I love my kid to bits, but as any parent would know, babysitting a rambunctious 3yr-old full-time in the confines of your home is a tough ask. No playdates, no playgrounds, no outdoor activities of any kind. I figured… “let’s wing it.”
It was a bit of a challenge to figure out the day-to-day activities to keep him occupied. I would get ideas from the net, from youtube, from friends. I would set up toys and activities for him. Mash Play-Doh’s. Build Legos. Play games. Prepare snacks. Watch Paw Patrol. Read books. Put up a tent. Do shadow play. Draw and paint submarines and airplanes. Race cars. Run an obstacle course. Get bored. Rinse and repeat.
The first few days with him felt like work… like I was a facilitator of activities designed to keep him busy. But as time went by and we bonded more, I realized I was more an instigator of fun … to keep him learning and loving his time on lockdown.
