Family Vision of 2021 amidst COVID 19

Are you ready to enter 2021 with newer hopes and aspirations? 

If yes, you might find this blog handy.

To give a little background of the situation:

Though things came in as a shock as India reported its first COVID positive case on January 30 when an Indian student in Wuhan tested positive on her return to Kerala. Through February, though, India added only two more cases, taking the country’s cumulative total to three cases and zero deaths. The Coronavirus’ real onslaught began in March as within the first 10 days, many large states began reporting cases. The states started declaring lockdown one after another as a strategy to stop the spread of this virus. By April end reports of COVID positive cases kept pouring in from all across the country and cases breached the one lakh threshold in May. The month also saw the cumulative deaths to cross the figure of 5000. Cases rose to more than 35 lakhs by the end of August. There has been a steady decline in daily cases since September. Judging from the overall trends since September, it seems the worst is over.  ( as reported by Atul Thakur, Times of India, December 25th,2020)

In 2020 as many of our plans were either slowed down or stalled due to the pandemic, there are still reasons to have hope for the future. As the new year has already begun it’s time now to chart a family vision with newer hopes and aspirations to emerge stronger from this global crisis than ever before as the crisis brings along opportunities. It’s time to put the worst behind and look forward to the new year with optimism. With lessons already being learnt now on how to navigate through the hurdles and uncertainties thrown up by the unprecedented times such as the ones we are currently in, it’s time to enter the new year by putting some positive spin on it rather than merely cribbing about why 2020 has been the worst year of our lives .

It’s time not to take family for granted as family is where the main anchor of personal and professional goals lies. Some of the challenges which we faced in 2020 might persist in 2021 as well. So family vision becomes much more so an important topic worth consideration in 2021. 

Some of the steps to plan our family vision for the year 2021 might include:

Giving structure to family members’ day: By creating a structured environment for everyone at home, especially children as they thrive when they know what to expect, parents can help them feel comfortable, safe and secure. Waking up early and doing yoga, meditation, aerobics,  or cycling are some of the great ways to kick start the day. Followed by a good breakfast which could energise us and prepare us for the rest of the day. Similarly rest of the day could be planned for all members in which time could be  allocated for studies, watching TV, recreation, meal time, sleep time and favourite pastime. The rules could be relaxed on weekends or some special days like birthdays or festivals.

Focusing on emotional wellbeing: It’s time to appreciate emotional wellness practices which are essential to be included in family vision in the wake of this pandemic. Activities such as reading a book, chatting with family members or a friend, going for a walk, getting plenty of rest, doing some artistic work, deep breathing exercises, practicing certain mindfulness activities or even self-care can be incorporated in everyday’s schedule of members which could  protect the emotional well being of family members. It can also manage the stress of living through the challenging times like the ones we are currently in.

Spending family time together.  School going children who typically spent anywhere between 3 to 9 hours in school prior to the outbreak of this pandemic are now stuck indoors for months with no outdoor activities as well as social interactions. In such times it becomes imperative for parents to adopt unique ways to keep their children productively engaged and help them spend quality time together as families. Having meals together, playing games during weekends, having family movie nights by creating a theater experience in their cosy confines, doing yoga together, or an unhurried conversation and such other activities have given families to deepen relationships and create new rituals together.

Accomplishing new goals: Families may find it a herculean task  setting New Year’s goals in light of the pandemic, a different approach of doing things needs to be used. Every member needs to chart their personal goals as well as family goals. They can make use of a vision board which is a way to create a visual picture of what you want to create in their life. And when certain markers are reached it’s important to celebrate progress and encourage each other. Acknowledging each other's accomplishments would not only motivate all members to pursue other planned goals but would also strengthen the bond that they share with each other.

Having a vision on screen time: As schools have shifted to online lessons at home, children are spending more time in front of screens by using digital devices for both virtual education and recreational down-time . Also in the midst of crisis keeping social distancing in mind children are spending less time playing outdoors, many parents have relaxed screen time rules for using gadgets for children. So screen time is soaring thereby sometimes even exceeding the prescribed limit and going up to 10-14 hours  a day for many children. The crisis is exacerbating the situation for people everywhere so it's time to have a family vision on screen time and not allow usage of gadgets especially during meal time, study time, family time and two hours before sleep time. The parents themselves need to walk the talk and practice what they preach by following the rules laid by them in consensus with other members at home.

Planning a holiday with family: Most people are craving a holiday particularly because COVID jeopardized their summer vacation plans. As holiday trends are changing, families are combining work and leisure more so as schools remain shut and online classes  can be attended from anywhere in the world. Similarly parents can attend to their work from their holiday destination itself. Booking hotels within the same city, or driving out to farmhouses or exploring other safer options will help to break the monotony that has set in by being cooped up in the house day after day with all family members. So, by making use of masks and sanitisers,being extra cautious about cleanliness at resorts, airports, as well as marketplaces and making use of digital,contactless transactions safety can be ensured.

The COVID-19 pandemic has unleashed changes that seemed unthinkable just a few months ago as challenges have the ability to bring out the best in us. So let us stay positive and turn out current circumstances in our stride by turning them into strategic opportunities to position ourselves at a stronger place as a family than the previous year.