Thriving Through COVID-19: Parenting during a pandemic

May 22 2020

During a global pandemic, even the most basic of routines completely changes – including how we cook at home. Cooking, at least for me, is therapeutic in uncertain times like these. It is up to us to keep ourselves and our children nourished and healthy during these times of uncertainty.

Three Simple Recipes to Make with Your Children

Deciding what to cook for your children can be difficult due to other active stresses in our lives. Although it’s fantastic to support our local restaurants, sometimes it’s not as affordable as we’d all hope. Cooking during COVID with the kids home from school may be a delicate balancing act, but there are simple and quick recipes your children can actually help you prepare! The more hands the better, right? Here are some yummy recipes that children can help you create in the kitchen.

Healthy Gnocchi Kids Can Help with!

Crispy sheet pan gnocchi and veggies is not only healthy, but extremely delicious! Gnocchi is fast-cooking and your kid(s) can help chop up the veggies (as long as you’re watching them!) and can also help to season them. You don’t need much for this recipe, and you can even sub out vegetables depending on what you have readily available in your fridge or freezer.

A Fancier Twist on Pizza

When I was a kid, I always thought the best times in the kitchen with my mom was when she would buy those Kraft pizza kits, and we would get to roll out the dough on the table and put as much sauce and cheese on as we wanted. If you want something healthy yet still affordable, check out this French bread pesto chicken recipe that includes all kinds of nutrients. It’s a somewhat healthier alternative to regular pizza, and it’s still an easy recipe that your mini chefs can help prepare with you. Your child will actually be able to create the French bread pizzas on their own; all you have to do is chop everything up and pop it in the oven. Easy!

Fast and Easy Peanut Butter Balls

I wanted to include an easy dessert recipe because we could all use a sweet treat right now. This homemade dessert actually has some healthy benefits to it. The recipe is for healthy peanut butter balls where kids can help measure the ingredients and roll the balls. I’ve made these a few times before and they are seriously delicious.

Fun Activities Kids Can Complete in Quarantine

With the pandemic going on, it’s so much harder to keep kids entertained as just about everything fun is closed right now. But there are actually many different activities children can get busy with in quarantine. I think it’s all about getting creative during times like these and helping your child to explore their imagination a little more.

Three Creative Activities Kids Will Love

For preschoolers, try to get them building a construction paper rainbow. This activity can help promote creativity and creates a learning opportunity to identify colours. There are  a couple online activities listed on the same website as above that include a Ladybug rock craft and a calm down sensory bottle (targeted towards toddlers). Again, these are two fantastic activities to get your child’s creative juices flowing. In my preschool years to elementary school, I can say my favourite activity ever was hide-and-seek. A classic and so fun! You can even play in the backyard too as we’re approaching nicer weather outside.

When kids can learn to get creative and think outside the box, it will help them to relieve boredom and maybe even pick up some new passions or hobbies. There are many mothers within the Niagara Region struggling to get by during these challenging times or to purchase things for their kids for them to stay active and healthy in quarantine. If you are looking to donate to those in our community that are struggling more than ever right now, please visit the YWCA Donate page.