We know that things are tough right now as so much has changed so quickly.
We can only imagine the stress and pressure that you are under as you consider how to protect your children, yourselves and elderly members of your family.
Coupled with that, many of you may also be feeling some level of anxiety about taking on the responsibility of educating your children with the closure of schools and Madrasahs.
We want you to know that how you are feeling is perfectly natural, and we are here to say, you are not alone.
You Are Enough
The most important message that we want to convey to you is that you are already enough for your children, and that the best thing you can do for them right now is to trust your parenting instincts.
Whether you choose to intensively homeschool your children or decide to use this time away from school and Madrasah to allow your children to play and enjoy themselves, trust yourself and base your decision on your understanding of your children. You know best what your children need.
With the myriad text messages, blog posts and newsletters being sent, you may feel that you are not doing enough or feel pressured to dive straight into full-time schooling from home.
Take Your Time
We would advise you to take at least a week if possible to let your children be, and settle into a new routine. This will allow you to observe them and work out their differing needs.
Enjoy the time together and use this period as an opportunity to bond and grow closer.
Your Health Matters
Whilst you take care of your children, with all the uncertainty and change, it's equally important that you look after your mental and emotional well-being as well as your physical health. We know that it is not possible to pour from an empty vessel.
Take the time to work out what you need as part of your own self-care. Be that, time to exercise from home, detox from social media or picking up a new hobby. The silver lining in this experience can be found if we change our perspective a little. Equally though, allow yourself to feel sadness and fear as it is natural to experience some turbulence in your emotional state.
We Hope This Helps
As an organisation that places mental and emotional well-being at the heart of our work, we didn't want to overwhelm you with huge to-do lists and targets; but we did want to provide you with something that can help bring peace to your homes.
We have made free downloadable 'well-being packs' available for you to use if you choose. They contain simple, fun and creative exercises that you can complete as a family to open up conversations about how you are feeling during this crisis.
We do have more free resources that you can download if you wish as well as story and activity books that can be purchased to keep your children fresh and engaged.
If you have any specific needs or questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch. We were here for you during prosperity, and will be ever more present in this difficult time.