Online Classes For Essential and Nonessential Worker Families
MD COVIDsitters provides virtual classes to give children stuck at home a fun way to destress, while learning something new! Anything from art classes to yoga lessons have been shown to improve mental health in children and adults. MD COVIDsitters is here to provide you and your children with fun, educational, and engaging online classes, free of charge.
Recent news shows that new COVID-19 cases have skyrocketed in Maryland, with over 1,100 cases in the last 24 hours. Being in a family and having younger children seems more challenging by the day. With both the fear of the virus and continued lockdown restrictions, psychological well-being within a family has become more paramount than ever before.
The impact of quarantining in a family can sometimes be draining. With regulations on social distancing, children no longer have the freedom to attend summer camps, play with friends, or attend events. This may cause strain in the familial system. Social distancing as defined by Ross University involves increasing space between individuals and decreasing the frequency of contact to reduce the risk of spreading diseases. With the 2020-2021 school year approaching, it’s unclear as to whether children will be able to attend school like they used to, and decisions about education and childcare are increasingly up to the parents. For healthcare workers and other essential workers, this can put a huge burden on the shoulders of parents who are already stretched thin.
Social distancing and quarantine have undeniable impacts on children. They may suffer from mental, physical, or emotional stressors at home from the increased pressure of parenting. They may also experience monotony, disappointment, as well as a lack of face to-face contact with classmates, friends, and teachers which can in turn, cause them to be more hostile, demanding, and impatient. These factors may cause both children and parents to develop prolonged adverse mental consequences.
Quarantining can have prominent psychological issues for children, including anxiety, boredom, and lack of development. The Ross University School of Medicine has outlined interventions to overcome these issues. Anxiety related to social or educational development can be eased by online classes and online study material. Developmental issues can be eased by physical exercise schedules. Both of these options can help children to decrease boredom at home, however, it can sometimes be difficult to find engaging and worthwhile course material online - and most materials for at-home study are pricey.
Alongside our wide array of services, MD COVIDsitters is offering online classes aimed at parents and children to try and combat these mental health issues. We will be hosting 2 to 3 online classes every month, ranging from art classes, dance classes, and music lessons to yoga and meditation. As mentioned before, the long-term consequences of social distancing or self-quarantining for children can include impaired development and increased emotional stress. One of the recommendations from the American Association of Pediatrics is to keep children engaged in classes. According to the Denver Art Museum, Art is known to be good for child development as it helps them learn from making their own art and from experiencing the work of other artists. This emphasizes on the importance of risk-taking, making mistakes, focusing and more. Activities such as drawing, sculpting and painting can help children build lifelong skills.
It’s not uncommon for adults to take yoga, pilates, or dance classes. However, these types of physical activity are also potent stress relievers for children as well! “Yoga and mindfulness provide so many benefits, including supporting learning, healing, stress release and everyday life” (Yogabeez.com.) This is crucial for children, as it helps support their physical and mental well-being. For the most part, yoga and art have proven to be incredibly effective for children and can help families improve their mental health. Although families cannot attend in-person yoga classes due to COVID restrictions, MD COVIDsitters will be offering art and break dancing classes with the availability of instructors in the upcoming months.
Our upcoming class Story Through Song: A History of Spirituals in African American Culture is fun for the whole family! In this one hour virtual lesson, Samielle and Marketing and Public Relations director, Maddy Malik, will be teaching children a fun spiritual, using a call-and-response technique that will allow the children to engage with the music. Samielle grew up singing in the black church, and she takes pride in her experience learning and teaching music. Accompanying her is Maddy Malik, a member of an all-girls a cappella group at Vanderbilt University. Story Through Song: A History of Spirituals in African American culture will take place on August 28th at 6pm.
MD COVIDsitters formerly offered these classes to essential workers only, but has recently expanded to include classes for children. We recognize that it can be extremely difficult to structure your child’s day, especially for essential working parents. Our online classes help to provide children with structure and routine, and virtual classes taught by our capable team members help your kids build and maintain a schedule during the daytime.
We believe these virtual classes will help families become more active during the strain of quarantine and allow for a healthier, happier family life.
Sources:Coronavirus In Maryland: Over 1,100 New Cases In 24 Hours, Hospitalizations Stay Flat, 2020
Museum, D., 2020. 6 Ways Art Is Good For Kids. [online] Denver Art Museum.
https://denverartmuseum.org/article/6-reasons-art-good-kids
wellbeing, 2., you, C., child, H., wellbeing, H. and practices, S., 2020. How Yoga Benefits Children | Children's Yoga Teacher Training | Teach Yoga To Children | Yogabeez.
