“In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, "Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you." But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.” Luke 1:26-29
Support. Provide respite as you’re able. As overwhelmed as the rest of us are, foster families must also ensure the health and security of foster children in their care. Drop off a home-cooked meal, shop for groceries, volunteer to play with the kids in the back yard or to take them for a walk around the neighborhood. Give them a break. Give. Kinship and foster homes care for multiple children at a time, and all those children are out of school and spending lots of time together inside the house. Consider donating gift cards, art and craft supplies, board games, bottled water, and snacks. You could also put together a “care package” with basic needs. Or make a financial gift to community providers like Saint Francis Ministries or through CarePortal, who need your support to meet the needs of foster families and children.
As an associate of the United Nations Department of Global Communications, Saint Francis Ministries is committed to sharing knowledge and information developed by the network of experts at the UN and associates from all over the world. If you have a teenager or are supporting someone who does, please read and share this article from UNICEF, to protect and help teens care for their mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.
So, your supervisor sent you home to work until this whole coronavirus thing blows over, or at least until it starts to. Trouble is, your children’s school did the same thing. Now you have two jobs. How do we keep our employer happy, while ensuring our kids are educated, entertained, and occupied? Here are a few tips to keep parents sane and children less anxious.
Since 1993, KCSL’s Parent Helpline (1-800-CHILDREN) has offered a voice who will listen and empathize with callers’ concerns and provide help with simple questions or complex situations. Information, referrals, and support are provided statewide anonymously to parents, relatives, caregivers, youth, and professionals 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Let’s face it, working from home has its advantages. I admit that a part of me yelled “Yes!” and did a fist pump when I heard my department would work from home thanks to COVID-19. I saw myself sitting at my computer in my pajama bottoms and Beatles t-shirt, typing away between bites of pepperoni and provolone. Then, I thought, “Man, this would be the perfect time to grow a hipster beard.” As glorious as that sounds, I do have lots of work on my plate. Don’t we all? So, we need to maintain our productivity even though we’re working from home, perhaps with bedhead. After all, people depend on us. With that in mind, I’ve shared a few of the ways I manage to balance the novelty of working from home with the need to actually get my work done. Feel free to use whatever does the trick for you.
Tips for managing the homebound routine.
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