With pandemic-related anxiety having become pervasive, people of all ages are developing diverse coping strategies to beat prolonged stay-athome blues. In this specially curated cover story, the PW editorial team presents enjoyable DIY activity options for children and parents – Archana N, Mini P & Cynthia John Even as the country has begun Unlock 4.0 in the ominous shadow of the Covid-19 pandemic, life is nowhere near normal. Schools, colleges, restaurants, cinemas, and parks are still shuttered and the great majority of urban India’s children and adults is learning and working from home even as millions are battling job loss, pay cuts and remuneration delay. With pandemic-related anxieties pervasive and most families preferring to stay indoors despite lifting of stringent lockdown restrictions, people of all ages are developing diverse coping strategies to beat prolonged stay-at-home blues. A rising number of households are taking to yoga, exercise, cooking, music and embarking on DIY (do-it-yourself) projects and activities to learn new skills that can keep body and mind meaningfully engaged and perhaps transform into a post-Covid business or vocation opportunity. Most psychologists and counsellors advise that engaging in creative DIY activities (formerly known as hobbies) is a good option to counter lockdown stress and anxiety. “There is widespread negativity and anxiety within middle class households about the Covid-19 pandemic and its consequential socialisation restrictions. A good option for parents and children is to engage in constructive DIYn activities and learn new skills. The thrill of doing an enjoyable DIY activity releases dopamine-like neurotransmitters in the brain resulting in uplifting emotions,” says Hyderabad-based psychologist Dr. Geetha Challa, founder of Manojagrithi, an NGO working in the area of mental health. In particular, getting children interested in positive DIY activities is the best antidote to rising digital addiction. A recent study led by Dr. Ashok Gupta, medical superintendent and senior professor, department of paediatrics, JK Lone Hospital, Jaipur, on the effect of Covid-19 and lockdown restrictions on children in India, found that 65 percent of the 203 children surveyed reported mild to severe digital addiction and 70.7 percent with high screen exposure displayed behavioural problems such as “tantrums, irritability, stubbornness and rudeness”. “The outcome of digital addiction is aggression, lack of concentration, irritability, disobedience, reduced social interaction, depression and anxiety. Engaging and involving children in constructive activities such as gardening, reading, playing music or art, develops their positive energy and concentration, memory and sensory skills. Moreover, with children and parents saving on long commuting hours to school and work, there is more time to engage in DIY activities,” says Gargi (who chooses not to use a surname), a Bangalore-based freelance psychologist. Dr. Challa and Gargi’s advice to utilise the forced lockdown and prompt children to learn hands-on skills is endorsed in the recently released National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which makes a strong case for teaching school children vocational skills and art and crafts. “Every student will take a fun course, during grades VI-VIII that gives a survey and hands-on experience of a sampling of…
