One week after schools closed in Hillsborough County a friend came to my door with her three sons. They’d been on a nature walk and dehydration combined with the begging of her six-year-old, “can we go see Rome’s dogs” led her to stop at my home before walking the three blocks to hers. After glasses of water and orange slices were distributed to the kids and they were occupied with my energetic pups she told me, “I don’t know what I’m going to do with them. They’re already stir crazy.”
Her frustration is something I know other parents are feeling. We’re going stir crazy. Our routines are thrown off. Anxiety buzzes in the air and it can be hard not to feel out of control. In such uncertain times we must remember our children feel the same way. They’re stuck at home, told they can’t go to school or see their friends, can’t go to the playground or the pool, no Sunday school or scouts. But unlike adults, who have tools for dealing with upheaval, children are still learning how to cope.
Giving your child a focus for their energy can ease their anxiety.
Volunteering provides all kinds of benefits to your children. Don’t take our word for it. Tampa Bay Parenting posted an article on the 10 Reasons to Teach Kids to Volunteer. Perhaps, you thought during the stay-at-home order volunteering was now out of the question. Well, it’s not. This is where Hope for Tampa’s mask-making initiative comes in.
Here are three ways volunteering with Hope for Tampa can benefit your child, without them ever having to leave the house.
#1 Occupying Time and Minds
Anyone who has looked after a child for a period of time knows, idle time is time for trouble. I learned this quickly as an educator. Children are energetic and inquisitive, and just like adults, they hate being bored. Providing your children with a task, particularly something brand new to them, is a great way to keep their minds and hands active.
Children can have all sorts of fun with mask making. Younger children can practice their colors and shapes with the fabric, while older children can find a challenge in sewing more complex designs. The activity can be adapted for all ages, making it ideal for families with multiple children.
#2 Imparting a Sense of Social Responsibility
Regardless of when and where in time we are, selflessness is always something we want to teach our children. In the hustle and bustle of everyday life we may not prioritize community service. Perhaps you only think about it in December, when you drop off some cans at the church after watching a holiday movie. Or maybe your family spends every Sunday doing beach cleanup, and you’ve been missing the feeling volunteering brings you.
Whether community service is always on your register or only a passing thought, it is never too soon to teach your children how they can help others. You have the time, you have the opportunity, and if you were looking for a sign this is it.
#3 A Feeling of Control
Remember what I said about children not having all the tools needed to cope with uncertainty? One of the ways children may deal with feelings of fear or being out of control is by acting out.
If you’ve noticed your child has been messier, louder, or more argumentative as of late, it could be because they are overwhelmed by what they are seeing and hearing around them.
The activity of making masks together doesn’t just give them something to direct their energy into, it’s a way for them to control the source of their fear. You can use the time you spend crafting masks to talk about how these will help keep people safe, and share stories about other kids in the world who are solving problems and making a difference every day.
Knowing that their actions have an impact, that they are helping the world heal, can make your child feel calm and secure amidst the chaos.
Here is how you and your family can help medical and healthcare workers in Tampa Bay
We need your help. Our nurses and doctors on the front line do not have the protection they need. You can help and you don’t have to sew to be a part of the solution!
We need people taking part in the fundraiser, donations of fabric and sewing supplies, people willing to cut and bundle kits for our sewers, sewers to assemble one of three mask designs, and drivers to pick up and drop off completed masks. Sign up to volunteer today!