I think my 4 year old is depressed because of quarantine

amother

Rose

Wed, May 06 2020, 8:30 am

silverlining3 wrote:

How long can a little 4 year old entertain themselves and how much can a mom entertain their child??? I just feel for both of you!
My neighbor has a 7 yr old only child, locked in. Lately he's by the window or at most out his door, making all kinds of absurd sounds. It's painful and pitiful!
Hope things get better for you and for everyone out there trying to stay afloat 😘

We have the same situation with a neighbor . And they have to strictly quarantine for medical reasons.

We play many games through the windows or over the phone. Guess who, 21 questions...challenges. A few times a day.

HonesttoGod

Wed, May 06 2020, 8:31 am

If you want to continue doing the right thing and isolating - which I totally get and agree with, here are some things I’ve done to help my super social kids.

- zoom and FaceTime dates. Lots of them. I even found a friend that had the same game as me such as guess who - easily played through a screen. They loved it.
- daily walks outside. Bike rides ball games chalk hopscotch sticks chase tag anything with you.
- art projects eg painting the room or a big wall mural like they have in school in the corridors.

Good luck. It’s so so hard for us extroverts.

amother

Aubergine

Wed, May 06 2020, 8:09 pm

Wow. This question is sooo validating for me! U have my hugs!
I like you, have a 4 year old boy, an only child.
I think, in some ways, having one kid at home is harder then having many.
I have good days and less planned days.
On a good day, I make sure to plan.
firstly I make sure he gets dressed! Down to curling his Peyos- it makes me-and him- feel like a mentsch then -he eats breakfast- afterwards I tell him the bus is almost coming! In a playful way-and I write him a Mitzvah note, he puts on his lunchbag- and then I welcome him into the kitchen...he sits down at a designated chair, and I do tzedaka ,davening etc -just like a regular school day. ( While dashing off my “teachers chair” to close the near-burning eggs...)
We do one academic thing a day like aleph beis ,ACS, numbers etc. Then I plan a major activity to do with him(major in my vocabulary ) for example baking cookies with him, baking pizza for dinner, making clay together.(together is key cuz its too pitiful to let him do things by himself ,and also he might act up if I’m not giving him attention!)other activities he loved: sock puppets -I took some old socks, Set up some google eyes, Elmers glue and craft stuff-and we created puppets ! We made a totty mommy, a few kids ,etc..
I let him do sensory activities -pour navy beans or rice into large aluminum foil pan. I Let him colour some pieces with marker, let him just play with it using 2 cups ...bubbles on porch, aleph beis activities....
Oh and I limit screen time! As many have said -I see the effects it has black n white! Addiction to it- and he gets irritable and snappy at us after watching stuff- so I only let him watch occasionally and when I need a break ASAP.
I’m still in a limbo about letting him play with one family and one family only (that my DH is anyways sharing germs with the father-his friend) but We make sure to go family biking at least once a week, and he schmoozes to his cousin on our front porch. But yeah, if I’m busy cooking supper or cleaning for shabbos and dads’ at work- then I pity him, I really do.

amother

Indigo

Thu, May 07 2020, 4:54 am

silverlining3 wrote:

How can you hear noises from their window?
They are doing the right thing by keeping him inside by the way...
Sounds like you are hanging out outside with your kids which is very wrong.

silverlining3

Thu, May 07 2020, 6:13 am

amother [ Indigo ] wrote:

How can you hear noises from their window?
They are doing the right thing by keeping him inside by the way...
Sounds like you are hanging out outside with your kids which is very wrong.

Did I say it's wrong that he's inside?? Why am I wrong if I sit with kids outside? Do I need to sit and rot inside? Bh I have somewhat private space outside my door.
And even when I am inside, of course I can hear him. You're welcome to come prove it!
And why am I excusing myself??? Goodness for me!

And my comment wasn't anything near to wrongs or rights normal or not normal. It was to validate and sympathize with a struggling mom! Please stop nitpicking. Tyvm