There’s no doubt about it. Childcare, amongst other things, will never be the same again. The pandemic has put a real dent in how life runs, and we should be prepared to embrace all the changes that come our way.
Parents have had to make their homes into their workspace, childcare center, restaurant, and spa (if space and time allowed for the latter). So, as parents, we’ve got a whirlwind lesson on viruses, germs, how to keep kids healthy without damaging their immune system, and ways to keep everyone in the household sane.
However, not all lessons learned have been wrong. There have been many silver linings that have come from the pandemic. With the evolution of childcare taking on a rapid pace, here is what we believe it will look like in 2021 and beyond.
Sustainability becomes uniform
With less temptation to go to the mall (well, let’s be honest, we couldn’t go for the longest time even if we wanted to), many of us have taken to sourcing our kid’s clothes online. And with that, the discovery of sustainable clothing. One of the primary childcare requirements is to ensure that your kids have quality undergarments and outdoor gear so that they remain healthy, comfortable, and warm. When it comes to these clothing essentials, you can opt for sustainable options that will become an essential part of their daily uniform. One of the best parts about this is that our kids will learn to care about sustainable clothing from a young age. You can take it as a teaching moment so that they will continue to purchase eco-friendly brands for years to come.
At home medicine cabinets get a boost
One of the many roles that we have taken as parents lately is becoming a pharmacist as well! With it not being as easy as it once was to take your kid to the doctor when they fall ill or get a prescription for medicine, we have taken it upon ourselves to boost up the medicine cabinets with a naturally formulated mixture designed to help a range of health issues. One must-have for every parent should be Genexa’s allergy medicine for kids. This medicine is the first of its kind, offering a clean, safe and effective way of fighting off allergy symptoms such as sneezing, coughing, or itchy eyes and skin. Made with active ingredients, it is similar to Benadryl, except that there are zero inactive ingredients mixed in. This medicine comprises four ingredients: diphenhydramine HCI, organic agave syrup, citrus extract, and purified water. As a result, childcare right now and into the future will consist of healthy and clean solutions to help our children live their healthiest life possible—with no nasty ingredients included.
Pre-made meals your kids will love
One of the most tiring parts of childcare is trying to keep up with their food needs. As kids grow and develop, they go through phases of wanting extreme amounts of food back down to common cravings. Trying to prepare food for your kids constantly can become a full-time job. But you can now prepare easy & healthy breakfast food items and more through brilliant food delivery companies that do all the hard work for you. Delivering fresh meals that have already prepped everything can save time, money, and energy on this childcare component. And the best part of all, these types of meals can easily be prepared by kids as well—so they can learn to fend for themselves at a young age while you have the peace of mind knowing whatever they are making will be fueling them with optimal nutritional value.
Finding trusted caregivers got easy
This one has been a huge lifesaver. Nowadays, if you need to take a few minutes our hours to yourself and get a last-minute babysitter, you can easily hop online to trusted platforms and find one that is highly trusted and reviewed. Whatsmore, this platform also gives you access to finding professionals that can help you with house cleaning and tutoring—making childcare all the more community-driven these days.
Downtime is good for kids
While back in the day, it was believed that the best childcare was the one that kept kids engaged and entertained at a fast pace all day, we’ve learned that downtime is needed for kids too. It’s okay not to have anything on the schedule for the day. Let your kid know zero inactive ingredients are to fill their day with activities they love—or simply allow them to do nothing now and then. When they have a demanding schedule, they will be more likely to get engaged and stay engaged. It is essential not to burn out kids, and childcare in 2021 and beyond is championing just that! Quality over quantity is what our new mantra is all about.
Kids can do activities with adults
Another thing that is changing with childcare is the types of activities kids do with parents. Childcare in 2021 includes kids doing many more activities with their parents, including exercise! Family exercise is suitable for both the entire family’s well-being and physical health. Kids thrive when being challenged and also value being given quality time from their parents. So childcare now and into the future will incorporate more activities that people of all ages can do together and benefit from—such as going for a bike ride or hiking through nature.
Keep the stress to a minimum
Kids thrive better when the situations aren’t stressful. So childcare now focuses on creating more calming environments that go with the flow if things don’t go as planned. If the morning gets off to a late start, that’s okay. If you start a project late, that’s okay. Kids should learn to go with the flow and adapt than get stressed about situations that can’t be reversed. That resiliency will help them later on in life and is a fundamental part of childcare these days.
Accept that it won’t be perfect
Childcare in 2021 is getting less pressure to be perfect. Even if you have the day all planned out to a tee, chances are there will be something that goes wrong. And somedays the kids will simply be having a bad day. So trying to be perfect is overrated. Kids appreciate seeing flaws in adults as it shows that it is okay to fail and not be great at everything. It’s not even possible! Going forward, acknowledging this will make childcare, in general, a more loving, compassionate, and forgiving experience that will help mold great kids into even better adults.
So as the world continues to evolve and change, so will childcare. And there are many parts of childcare that we are thankful are changing! The fact that adults and kids are finding more opportunities to connect. The fact that medicine is now cleaner for kids, and so are their meals. There is less stress and fret and more of a loving environment designed to help everyone thrive and reach their full potential.