Like the rest of the world, this week our schools were shut down and we were ordered to stay at home, away from each other due to the increasing concerns about the coronavirus pandemic. As a diagnosed anxiety sufferer, I was relieved that my kids wouldn’t be in school, and therefore, couldn’t possibly contract the virus.

However, I’m also a living, breathing mother with a not-so-high tolerance for chaos, stress, and saying home with three kids all day, everyday, for at least a month.

With that, I’m so grateful that I’m in a postion that allows me to stay at home with my kids, to not only keep them safe, but also prevent the spread of the virus to those most vulnerable.  I realize so many parents aren’t able to be at home with their kids during this scary & unprecedented time.

Although I’m grateful I get to be with my kids and we have all the necessities for a comfortable quarantine, I knew I needed to find ways to cope at home with my kids for the next month or more.

While it hasn’t been easy by any means, we’re only a few days in and I’m still (mostly) sane so I think my plans are going to  be a success. And if they work for me, they will work for you. Here are a few ideas of ways to cope at home with kids:

 

1) Create A Schedule

The first thing I did Sunday night when I learned my fate for the next 4 weeks was draft a schedule. Knowing my house would turn inside out without any kind of structure, I created a simple schedule on a piece of white lined paper (college ruled 😉 ) and stuck it on the fridge for all my monsters to see. I made sure not to be too strict with it, allowing lots of breaks and “free time.” But there are dedicated times for workbooks, reading, chores, and art. Following the same schedule every day keeps us all in check and makes this quarantine a little more bearable.

 

 

2) Educational Activities

It’s not always easy to teach your own kid something new. That’s why I don’t homeschool. But this month I’m a home-schooling mama. Luckily, I already had workbooks for my kids to use on random weekends when they’re “bored” or when I’m desperate for some sanity, but don’t want them watching tv. But those workbooks only go so far and my kids’ enthusiasm for them fades fast. While my kids’ teachers are putting together some assignments, in the meantime, Scholastic has free activities and classes for nearly every grade level. My kids love the scholastic website so we’ve been doing that in leu of “reading” the last few days and it’s worked out great (don’t worry, there’s still reading involved). Definitely check it out if you need educational activities and you’re looking for ways to cope at home with kids.

 

3) Art

Art is such an important part of learning. I don’t think my kids’ creative brains get much time to let-loose in their public school’s curriculum as most art forms have been cut from the budget. While my kids are home with me, I’m making sure to plan lots of art projects. We do one day of “free art” where they can do anything creative, and then the next day we do a project I have planned in advance. The planned projects don’t need to be difficult or require lots of work of parents. Just yesterday we did collages in which each kid had a posterboard, wrote their name in the middle, and then glued to it a collection of photos that represent them and the things they love. We recycled my old country living magazines for the photos. The kids loved this project so much that they asked if we could do it again next week. Other great ideas could be letting them get creative with play dough, button projects, or even making jewelry. Whatever pops into your brain or comes up during the day will work! Be sure to check Pinterest for some easy craft ideas for kids.

 

4) Chores

So your house doesn’t get completely out of control, appoint individual chores for your kids and create “chore time” on your schedule. My kids already have chores they do each day and by adding this time into the schedule, they can see exactly what they need to be doing, & when. Some great chores for little ones are straightening/organizing shoes, collecting laundry from each bedroom, cleaning up & vacuuming their bedroom, or helping unload the dishwasher.

 

5) Outside Play

Playing outside is an integral part of our day. Now that we’re stuck at home, it’s more important than ever for the kids (and me!) to get fresh air each day. This could be as easy as playing on the swing set or trampoline, taking a walk around the neighborhood, a bike ride, or a snowball fight (it’s spring but we got snow 2 days ago!). Fresh air & sunshine is good for all of us.

 

6) Board Games

In our schedule we even have an hour carved out for playing board games. Luckily, we have a cabinet full of board games the whole family likes to play including Life, Sorry, Clue, Payday, and several different card games. Board game time is an hour each day where all of us to get together and have fun. We usually do this after the kids have played outside and burned off some energy so they’re ready to calm down and sit around a table. I just taught my kids how to play “war” with a deck of cards. This game was a childhood favorite of mine. And I honestly don’t know if I would have ever made the time to teach them if it weren’t for this mandatory quarantine we’re dealing with right now…(just looking for a silver lining).

 

7) TV

My kids don’t typically watch a lot of TV. Not only do I not think it’s beneficial for their brain development, but we usually don’t have time. After school we often have baseball practice, basketball, soccer, or track. And recently, on the weekends we’ve been skiing. However, now that we have absolutely nothing going on, TV & movies have been an essential part of our evenings. Luckily we have Netflix, Hulu, & Disney+, which have all been lifesavers during this last week. Buttt…just because your kids can watch TV, doesn’t mean they necessarily have to, or will. The first day of our new schedule, my kids asked if they could play with Legos instead of watching a movie. I didn’t say no!

 

8) Free Time

While order & a routine are important, I think allowing free time for your kids is a necessity. My kids have two “free times” a day and they’re allowed to do whatever they want (within reason). Sometimes they do art. Sometimes they play outside. And sometimes they just lie around and watch TV, and that’s totally fine with me.

These unknown times are difficult for everyone. Most of us haven’t experiencesd anything like this before so we’re all learning together. These are just a few of my ideas of ways to cope at home with kids right now.

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