Not Sick, but Home from School
As I write this, schools in my area are closing for various reasons related to the COVID-19 virus. Some are cleaning like crazy, others don’t want the virus spread, but regardless of their reasoning your kids might wind up at home. Or in someone else’s home for several days or several weeks. This doesn’t have to be a social distancing problem, it could be a spring break staycation or a week or two this coming summer.
This is something that snuck up on most people in our area. It’s not normal and no one’s fault for being somewhat unprepared. It all feels really weird.
To make this, hopefully very temporary, time manageable I just have a few tips. These tips are helpful any time but will really come in handy during the next few weeks as this virus plays out. These are not exhaustive by any means.
First, break up the day into one hour chucks of time. Once everyone is up and going give them jobs to do. This is as important as school work, if not more, in my opinion. Learning to run and care for your home is critical for a happy life. Make a list of jobs together. Kids can look around and see what needs to be done.
What needs to be washed? Mirrors in the house? Windows? A four year old can wash that stuff. What needs to be sorted? Art supplies? Old socks? A brother and sister can sort as a game or race. What has been on your to do list since last spring? Go through toys, old puzzles, clothes the family has out grown? Have a hand me down party or fashion show. Do something work related for an hour then take a break and let everyone free play for an hour. This can be reading, doing one of the puzzles, playing with favorite toys, or outside if it’s nice enough. Save screen time for the afternoon when everyone will be ready for some down time.
After an hour of play have everyone sit down and write or draw something. Use some focused creative energy for a change of pace. Pull out the markers or even paints if you have them, but just a pencil and paper will be enough. Work on writing a story and making a book. Come up with a group story and title - “The Day They Closed the Schools.” Ask questions. What do you think your friends are doing today? What about your teachers? Does your dog know you should be in school? Kids process things in a variety of ways. Using story telling and art is one way to relieve some of the stress they may be feeling and get it outside their heads.
After an hour of creating go clean something else. Show them how to use the vacuum, how to dust the shelves. Write a list of all the books you have, like a library. Write some book reviews. Have one child read to another and act out what they’re reading.
Have everyone help make lunch, have one kid be the cook, one the server and eat together. Everyone can help clear the table and load the dishwasher. Days like this mean you're not in a hurry. It’s an opportunity to talk and do things well. Even learn to do new things.
These are all just ideas off the top of my head. The main idea is to break your time up into productive but fun activities so the day passes with a feeling of calm and order. After lunch put on a movie everyone can agree on or let them have some personal screen time. Let them wind down and be in their own space before coming back together for the final hour or so before dinner. Take a walk before dinner or after. Collect something from outside. Kids don’t need big things to entertain them, they just need something to keep their minds and bodies busy.
When you run out of ideas, ask them for more. Use their energy and abilities to get some stuff done on these days you’re stuck at home. Everyone will be better off for it.
So to review:
Enlist your kids in jobs you need done and put them to work. Have older kids that can write make lists and put them in charge of getting a job done as a team.
Break the day up into hours. Most things can be done in about 1 hour. It will give you all a sense of order and calm. Post a schedule for the day if that helps.
Think of the whole kid. Use their imagination and creativity for one activity, their physical need for movement in another, their brains using observation or story telling to fill the day.
Look at this as a time of sharing and being together. A gift rather than a problem.
Life is really challenging sometimes and you can’t fix everything but you can and will get through a lot together.