Life in the times of lockdown: Now’s the perfect chance to bond with kids, shares this mother-teacher

Principal of Ludhiana school shares how she’s making the best of the time that the lockdown has offered her.

For Bhavna Vikram Pandit, 36, the principal of NM Jain Girls Senior Secondary School, the Covid-19 lockdown is the best time for parents to step forward and act as role models for their children.

More opportunity to spend time with our families is the silver lining of the lockdown, says principal Bhavna Vikram Pandit (Getty Images/ representative image)

While our usually busy routines leave us bereft of time, Pandit says, the time available now will be best utilised by teaching children the oft-neglected moral values.

“Earlier, parents were busy with their jobs and children with their schools and tuitions. The silver lining of the lockdown is that families now have enough time to spend together,” she says, adding that this should be used to bridge the gap between parents and children.

Bhavna Vikram Pandit, principal of NM Jain Girls Senior Secondary School, Ludhiana, is utilising the curfew to teach her two daughters moral values.

Mother of two daughters, an eight- and a five-year-old, Pandit says as a parent, she makes sure to involve her children in prayer rituals and meditation. “Every morning, my husband and I perform yoga and meditation, along with other exercises. This is followed by recitation of prayers, when we take the opportunity to pass on traditional treasures to our children. Now, we also have the chance to teach them ethics through Ramayana and Mahabharata,” she says, while appreciating the government’s decision of re-telecasting these historical epics.

Her rest of the day, Pandit says, is spent taking care of household chores, such as cleaning and cooking, helping her daughters with their online classes and interacting with her school staff. When possible, she relishes reading books and newspapers, and indulging in dancing and singing with her children.

The ample time has also given her the chance to try out various recipes. “Apart from our staple diet, I am also trying my hand at pasta, pizza or whatever I can whip up with the available ingredients,” she says.

But the lockdown has also brought along a new challenge - persistent inquiries by the blossoming minds at home.

Being home all day, she says, the children can’t help but be restless about not going to school or playing with children. “These are indeed challenging times, but it’s parents’ duty to help their children understand the prevailing situation and the risks involved in stepping out,” she says, not forgetting to remind her daughters to wash their hands before eating.