Sometimes, life does change overnight. One day, the streets were hustling and bustling with myriad activities, the offices were full, and children came back from school with a dozen stories to share. The next day, we woke up to empty streets, skeletally staffed offices and untimely school holidays.

A global pandemic has brought our world to a standstill. Indeed, what we are experiencing today is something no one has lived through before. Understandably, such novel situations bring about novel challenges that we need to learn to adapt to and overcome, while keeping our sanity intact. Sounds simple, but doesn’t work out as easily.

While most of us adults are trying to adjust to this lockdown, understanding the need for social distancing and facing quarantine for the first time in our lives, for children these are puzzling times. They have questions, they are looking for answers and of course, they are bored. They do not necessarily understand what is keeping them away from the outdoors, from their friends and from the world they have known since their birth.

Needless to say, the realities are different for different children. Children in urban privileged set ups face issues that are different from children in urban slums, and the same holds good for the children in rural India. The issue of survival takes over as the prime concern in majority of the cases for underprivileged children. Keeping them safe, protected and healthy comes a close second. In unprecedented situations like these, children’s vulnerabilities grow manifold. But there are rays of hope too. There are people who are going extra miles to ensure that the basic question of survival and food security is answered. There are people who are working remotely to device activities that can keep children busy and engaged. In times like these, people who care are coming out of the shadows and into the limelight. And that’s a wonderful thought in itself.In dealing with stressful situations at work and at home, we do tend to overlook that children grow anxious and feel stressed too. They are, in all likelihood, much more sensitive to changes in the world outside, changes in their routine and changes in the household dynamics. Children observe, children notice and children internalize. It becomes our responsibility as adults to pay extra attention to their psychosocial well-being as children are unable to express themselves like us.But here’s what I love about CRY – Child Rights and You. Whenever we are in crisis, we go back and touch base with the child in us. And we believe that while we shape children with our thoughts and actions, children shape our world with their innocence. This lockdown has brought in a wonderful opportunity for us, the parents, as we engage in meaningful exchange between us and our children. Below are some creative and innovative ways to be with children, approved by the child in us at CRY! Be sure to try them at home, and watch your spirit be uplifted.Listen, listen and listen enough – Children have wild imaginations. Let them take you to a world that lives inside their heads. Storytelling sessions are a great way to understand how your child’s mind works. Listen to their versions of the lockdown stories. How do they see it? Are these similar to Harry Potter’s, writing lines in Professor Snape’s dungeon? Maybe their stories will tell you how they feel. Address those concerns with facts and enjoy the wild stories that pour out of their heads.Read with them – Encourage reading books. I’m telling you, it’s the best of practices a child can grow. If your child doesn’t like to read, you can read to them. Stories are wonderfulescapades from a world full of not-so-beautiful things. Read them your favourite classics, or just make up stories as you go. You’ll be surprised to hear yourself speak (that imagination that lay hidden behind the power-point presentations and excel sheets will unleash itself too!)Create Partnerships – This is a great time for children to start enjoying (and actively participate in) household chores. Make housework the most fun part of the day. Hand them the broom and pretend that it’s a magic wand that makes dirt disappear (what was the vanishing spell in Hogwarts? ‘Evanesco’, I guess)! Show them your fun side. Teach them the games you would play with the brooms when you were children. Treat them like partners and ask them to find better ways to keep the house clean.Work Together – Stick to timelines. While we tend to focus on the fact that our working hours should not get disturbed, make it a point to ensure that fun hours are not disturbed either. Stress on the importance of fun. Your child will value the routines much more.Share your Secrets – Trade a childhood secret for one of theirs. Open up to your child and show them that it is okay to trust and be honest. It’s not a bad idea to confess to your child that while in school you once submitted a blank paper in Geography class test, and got a zero. Keep judgements…