Structuring a Child’s Daily Life in Difficult Circumstances

Nothing comforts a child or gives them a greater sense of reassurance and stability than having a clear, consistent schedule to organize daily life at home, just as they do at school. This strengthens their ability to adapt to difficult and exceptional circumstances and reduces the negative impact on their mental health and social well-being, as well as their behavior. 

Here are some ideas that parents may find helpful when developing their plan:

1. Practice relaxation exercises with the children. 
2. Do physical exercises with them. 
3. Dance with them to rhythmic music. 
4. Read stories to them. 
5. Pray with them.
6. Increase physical contact with the children, such as hugging, kissing, and embracing them. 
7. Enable children to express their feelings through creative drawing, writing a story, or writing letters to relatives and friends. 
8. Give children instructions to follow during emergencies, such as assigning responsibilities to them. This gives them a sense of control over the situation and a feeling of importance because they have a role in the family. 
9. Use humor, such as inventing funny stories, songs, and jokes. Humor helps relieve tension and makes the circumstances feel less serious and threatening. 
10. Limit children’s exposure to the media. Most of the information and images shown in news and talk programs and television reports are unsuitable for young children’s intellectual and emotional development. They confuse children and cause them fear and anxiety. 
11. Provide a safe, stable home environment by maintaining the usual routine. This includes giving children regular, healthy meals, ensuring daily attention to personal hygiene, and providing clean clothes. Returning to a regular routine is very important to recovery because it strengthens the sense of reassurance, safety, and control over the situation.
12. Support children in achieving emotional balance by creating simple, soothing activities with them, such as telling favorite stories, especially before bedtime, listening to calm music, and engaging in all kinds of play with the child. This is particularly true of pretend play, which allows the child to take the role of a superhero who defeats evil and rescues others from hardship.
13. Show a positive outlook in front of the child and reassure them that things will return to normal and that everything will be all right. 
14. Involve children in developing an emergency plan, listen to their opinions and suggestions, and encourage them to take responsibility within that plan. 
15. Set aside special times to talk with children about subjects that cause them concern or raise questions, and encourage them to state their views and express their feelings. What they say must be respected. It is important to answer all the child’s questions and not delay answers or leave the conversation unresolved and vague, as this causes the child greater confusion and anxiety.