Creating and Sustaining a Positive Family Environment Living in a Tent City

Creating and Sustaining a Positive Family Environment Living in a Tent City 

With the severe economic downturn and families losing their homes in record numbers, more children are living in tent cities and homeless shelters, in automobiles, and on the street.  Everything they know and are familiar with is wiped away and not only have they lost their homes, children have lost access to the parks, playgrounds, and their yards as a place to play.  Other children can no longer attend child care centers and pre-schools, go to boys and girls clubs, attend scouts, and may even lose access to Sunday School, which sets children up to be bored, stressed, and feeling lost.  Unfamiliarity can breed discontent. 

Parents and civic organizations need to help children find activities within the perimeters of the tent city, or other areas where homeless families congregate and live in order to create a sense of community for themselves and their children.  There are many activities that parents can do with their children that will both create a learning environment and add a little fun to their lives.  Civic groups could volunteer in these 'tent cities', as well, to help children have something to do. 

Inexpensive Purchases for Busy Work 

Most Dollar, Dollar General, Everything's a Dollar, and similar stores have toys, coloring books, crayons, puzzles, books, balls, paints, and other items available for purchase that many parents, charitable, and civic organizations can get for children at a small cost.  Most communities also have a Salvation Army or Red Cross, etc. that may have crayons, balls, dolls, cars, and other small toys available to be given away to children who need them.  There are also Community Action Centers in many communities. 

Yoyos', Frisbees, large rubber balls, basket or soccer balls, etc. can also be found at dollar stores.  Encouraging children to get out into the open and play together, with a parent, or with other children in the tent center is healthy and fun for everyone.  Sometimes a croquet or badminton set can be purchased for not too much at a discount store. 

These items will help keep children from becoming bored and they will help take a child's mind away from the drastic change in their environment as both parents and children struggle to adjust to the loss of the home and everything that is familiar.  There are also items like lunch size paper sacks, plastic storage containers, beads and other things used for arts and crafts that can be purchased for no more than one to three dollars. 

Inexpensive Food Activities for Parents and Children 

Simple food and other fun activities is one thing that parents can share with their children as the parent child connection becomes more important when the family is homeless and living in a tent city or other homeless shelter.Packages of powdered jello and pudding can be purchased at a low cost, or with food stamps from all stores and may be given out at local food banks.  Food banks also often have fresh apples and oranges and local farmers markets may be willing to provide some fruit for tent cities and other homeless shelters if asked.  Many grocery stores or super discount stores will sell fresh fruit for a greatly reduced price if it has a blemish, is starting to get soft, or isn't being sold at the regular price.

 Parents, or a child, can open and empty one or more packages of powdered jello or pudding into a small plastic sandwich or other storage container, and after coring, peeling, and slicing an apple, have the child place the slices into the powder, coat and then eat them.  This not only gives children something to do, the apple slices provide a healthy snack. 

Oranges can also be used to provide a healthy snack and a fun food activity that can be shared with the family.  Parents can show children how to roll an orange around in the hands and gently massaging the fruit until the orange is no longer hard.  Cutting a small hole in the orange and sticking a peppermint candy stick or other type of porous candy stick into the fruit; children can suck on the candy and get both orange juice and the flavor of the candy.  Parents can enjoy the refreshing snack with their children, as well.

 The Outdoors as a Learning Environment

 Living in a tent city or shelter makes it difficult for children to stave off boredom and for parents to stave off depression or feelings of guilt.  The outdoors offers a whole world of experiences along with fresh air and sunshine that most children have never been introduced to.  It is not only important for parents to try and add a sense of normalcy to the new family environment for their children, sharing outdoor and natural experiences with their children helps keep the family relationship strong and healthy.

Parents and children can go out on walks or find the first open area near the tent city.  Parents should first make sure that another trusted adult with a tent right next to or within sight of theirs can, or will, watch to make sure no one tries to take their belongings and that any valuables such as jewelry, money, etc. in is their possession in a back pack, fanny pack, or purse.

 Tracking the trip the sun makes across the sky during the day from sunrise to sunset can teach children about the rotation of the earth, directions, and the sun's apparent distance or closeness can be used to illustrate the difference between the heat and coldness of the season.  During the spring parents can help child find and look at the tiny leaves beginning to emerge on the tree branches, flower or plant shoots pushing their way up out of the ground, etc. and explain the season in relationship to the sun and the warmth or coolness of the air. 

Since most bird's eggs hatch and most animals give birth during the spring, parents can introduce young children to the animals that are indigenous to the area the tent city is located in like squirrels, jackrabbits, and birds.  This activity could also act as a counting activity or a game of 'I Spy'.  Rely Poly's and other harmless insects can provide another science lesson.

 Beautifying the Area in and Around Tent Cities and Homeless Shelters to Creat a More Normal Environment 

Packets of flower seeds can be found at dollar stores and dirt can usually be gathered in the area.  Helping children, or having older children, plant seeds in plastic containers, in front of or around tents in a tent city or homeless shelter can not only be used to teach children about the growth cycle of plants, once flowers bloom they provide color, a pleasant scent, and something pretty to brighten up an otherwise drab and depressing atmosphere.

 Paper lunch sacks can be used to gather samples of the natural world like leaves, twigs, flowers, etc.  Parents could work with their children to gather and dry these items and turn them into something decorative inside or right outside the tent.  A variety of vases can be purchased at dollar, art and craft, and discount stores for a small cost.  Small fish bowls or other clear plastic containers can be used to collect colored rocks, etc. 

 Making residential settings, tents, apartments for homeless families, shelters, and other areas attractive, keeping children active, and providing a learning environment will help children and their parents or other family members focus on hope, sharing, love, and the conviction that things will get better.