As an Emergency Medicine physician, Dr, Chanoch Harow, has spent a great deal of his life helping others. He is married to Rachel Harow, a dedicated professional who better their community in any way she can. He has four children with Rachel and they live happily in Palm Beach, Florida. Although Chanoch specializes is a vast amount of medical practices; such as shocks, massive bleeding, heart attacks, and overdoses, he is passionate about helping children as well.
As reported by The Times of Israel, being a day of four is no easy task. Even nineteen years of practicing medicine can’t prepare anyone when it comes to changing a dirty diaper. With four kids at home, he wants to help his wife with creative solutions on how to keep them safe and happy. First off, he says that during quarantine, limited screen time is a must. Back in the day, Chanoch and Rachel didn’t have to worry about getting caught up on their iPad’s or laptops. For fun, they would go exercise with their friends or find something outside to do. Nowadays, children are glued to their devices. The Harow’s deem it important to only allow sections of the day for electronic usage. Although this might not make the children initially happy, after forgetting about the iPads, they will begin to have fun. The Harow’s have a beautiful home where their children can safely play outside at a safe distance from everyone else. Chanoch has supplied them with tons of toys, skateboards, and games to play with outdoors. In Florida, the family doesn’t have to usually worry about the weather given that it’s beautiful all year round. From a doctor’s point of view, playing outside increases the strength od developing bones and Vitamin D is very important for brain function. As children laugh and play, endorphins are released in the brain signaling happiness to the frontal lobe. In addition, as children run around outside they are burning calories which is something sitting on the couch playing on the iPad cannot do. Also, the blue light coming from most devices can cause harmful long term effects on young children. It can cause optical issues down the line and even cause headaches.
Making a routine is one of the most important tasks Chanoch and Rachel recommend. Kids are used to getting up, brushing their teeth, going to school, etc. So, it’s important that as virtual learning become part of the education system, kids still have a sense of routine. Of course, they should have days where the routine is off or something spontaneous happens! That’s important too! For example, extra circulars are very important. Their daughter, Aliyah Harow, loves to sing and perform, which can be viewed on YouTube. However, after having fun singing, a routine needs to be upheld. From a doctor’s take, Chanoch says that it will help their brains function better because they will feel more motivated to do things. A lot of times, kids can feel discouraged from learning because they are confused or scared of new information. As parents, it’s important to implement trust and teacher like mind so that they are comfortable asking educational questions and won’t feel insecure at any moment.
Finally, eating healthy is much more valuable to the development of children than might parents understand. When children are home much more than they usually are, their bodies might not be burning as many calories as they used to. They can easily gain weight which can eventually lead to diabetes or other dietary illnesses. Obviously, let them eat what they way, but in moderation. Celery, apples, carrots, nuts, and berries are great, healthy sources of antioxidants. If allergies are present in some children, there are now many brands online that offer safe snacks that are also very healthy. Lastly, eating citrus with lots of Vitamin C can help with immunity and especially help with the virus. Overeating from boredom is an obvious stressor for many homes and it’s important to keep children active so that they are working their muscles. Some high sugar foods can also disrupt the sleep schedule and cause forms of insomnia. As kids try to get into a routine, they need to be well-rested and alert. Overall, it’s important to children active, safe, and healthy as they stay home because of COVID-19.