LETTERS: While the Movement Control Order (MCO) is highly laudable and a necessary move in this perilous time, one important but easily-overlooked issue arising from protracted home confinement is the psychological challenges on parents' mental well-being.
Though some rules will soon be relaxed, for parents, the MCO is highly distressing. Parenting is already an onerous task without being confined at home. For working parents, work-family conflict is already a perennial issue as parents struggle to balance the competing demands of work and family obligations.
Most parents are at wits' end dealing with overloaded demands of caring for children, family, marriage and work, plus with Ramadan just beginning.
The following tips might help parents cope with work and family obligations during the MCO.
Firstly, be forthcoming. It is important that working parents be forthcoming with employers about setting up realistic expectations for them as they work from home. Be transparent about the fact that you are juggling the needs of your family as well.
It is equally important to communicate with the co-parent (it might be a wife, a husband or other family member helping out at home) on the distribution of work at home. A shared responsibility will definitely lessen one's burden.
Second, establish routine. Many parenting experts have highlighted the need to establish a routine for children as they struggle in a structured environment. Try creating a daily schedule that works for you – it need not be rigid. As long as everyone's awake at a certain hour, eat meals at a certain time and have some activities throughout the day.
Third, take intermittent breaks You may also feel pressured to prove to your colleagues and employer that you are still productive, albeit being at home. However, it is vital that you do not overextend yourself. Taking intermittent breaks throughout the day will help you feel refreshed. Take a nap when you need to.
Some screen time for children might be inevitable. Under normal circumstances, it is highly recommended that children's screen time is limited. Relaxing the limit of screen time is inevitable and realistic in the current situation. However, steering the children to fun learning websites can turn the extra screen time to useful activities instead.
Fourth, limit social media exposure. Though children might get some extra screen time, parents, on the other hand, are encouraged to limit their exposure to social media. Uncertainty over the coronavirus' daily developments has everyone anxious. Minimising your exposure to social media might be a good thing to do now.
Fifth, engage in fun activities with the family. Before the MCO, many parents lamented the lack of quality time with family due to work commitments. Now, families get extra spare time together. Engage in activities that everyone might enjoy such as watching movies, listening to music, reading, playing games, cooking, baking and exercising.
As a society, we focus on physical measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus, which undeniably is necessary. However, we should not forget to protect the mental wellbeing of parents in these trying times.
Parental health and well-being depend on support and resources from the workplace, family, and community.
RABIAH TUL ADAWIYAH MOHAMED SALLEH
COVID-19 PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORT TEAM
INTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA.
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times