Improving the Intimacy in Mother-Child Communication in the Middle of COVID-19 Pandemic through Playing and Reading Activities

Abstract

Intimate communication between mother and child is very important for optimal and mature child development in the future. This communication can be built when the mother as the main actor in child care takes enough time to involve in various activities carried out and needed by the child in its development. Nowadays, the existence of a corona pandemic requires everyone to stay at home, no exception for mothers who usually work in the office. Thus, this condition has an important role in fostering intimate communication between mother and child. This study aims at determining various activities that can be carried out by mothers and children while they are at home and the implementation of these activities so that the intimacy of mother and child communication that was constrained could be reawakened. The method used in this study is a survey method with a quantitative approach. The stages include condition analysis, literature review, research instrument making, google form creation, data processing, soliciting responses, writing reports, and conclusions. The results of the study showed that most respondents engaged in reading and playing activities with their children at home. Those two activities were made to vary according to the interests and development of the children. Reading and playing activities required mothers to be creative, innovative, and directly involved in children's activities. This has an impact on the rebuilding of intimacy communication between mother and child.