Quarantine Survival Guide
This truly is an unprecedented time. I cannot remember a time like this where things are so uncertain and staying home can literally save lives. My only outing has been to get groceries and I felt like I was risking my life for the sake of my family.
If you’re in the same boat as most parents in the world, you’ve had to accommodate the fact that your children must now be homeschooled, with some direction from their teacher, of course. It’s like they were given an extra-long summer vacation with nowhere to go and nothing to do.
Some of us are working from home, some of us lost our job, some of us are working and homeschooling our kids at the same time. Some of us are tired and rundown and emotionally distraught, just trying to keep it together for our kids; okay this is probably all of us right now. Our kids truly don’t understand why they can’t see their grandparents, their friends or go to school or even the playground.
It’s tough no matter what situation you’re in. Not to mention if you or your loved ones have the virus or are an essential worker that is greatly needed at this time.
It’s a lot to take in right now.
One positive in all of this has been the one on one time I have been able to spend with my girls. But at the same time, that doesn’t make juggling work and dealing with children who are stuck at home easy! Every parent I know loves their kids more than anything in the world, but if this quarantine has taught us anything it’s that having kids at home all day, every day, for weeks and months at a time, is not stress-free!
So, I think we can all agree that these are extraordinary times, and as such, they require some extraordinary measures to keep everyone sane and halfway functional. For some of us, that probably means some big adjustments to the usual routine.
This whole current situation is, obviously, beyond the scope of normal and we’ve got to do what can to keep it together. I totally get that, but I just wanted to give you some tips to keep your children feeling secure and rested, and to help you keep your sanity while you’re at it.
- Consistency is key
Have you ever noticed that toddlers can be very persistent when they want something? They may ask you the same thing again and again. For example, I don’t know about you, but snacking is off the hook in my house during this quarantine. So chances are that your child may ask you to have a snack, or a cookie and you tell them no over and over again until you finally give in, because your will is gone.
If you decide the next time do be firm with them and tell them no, they will continue to demand the treat and get louder and louder. They will cry, whine and protest until the amount of time it took for you to say yes the last time has passed. They are persistent, aren’t they? If you want to keep sleep on track, you must be consistent with bedtime routines and keep things predictable or you will find yourself giving into demands.
Routines also give kids a sense of security. Knowing what’s on the schedule provides them with a road map for their day, and that knowledge makes them confident and puts their minds at ease, so even though we may need to make some serious concessions, there’s a lot to be said for keeping things predictable and consistent wherever possible. So, when your child whines or protests and asks for an extra story, be firm and stick with 2 stories, if that’s what you always do.
- Let’s just embrace screen time
When this homeschool quarantine thing started I was determined to make sure my kindergartener was doing as much school work as I could dig up. In the first 2 weeks they weren’t given any schoolwork, but my mom is a teacher so she sent me packets that my daughter could work on.
After the first 2 weeks, thankfully they were given assignments to complete. She finished everything in the first hour and the rest of the day is a blur. I try to do activities like science experiments and arts and crafts; basically what I can dig up on Pinterest and I actually have the ingredients to do it.
Fast forward to day 137 (I am clearly not keeping track) and we’ve slightly upped screen time by about three thousand percent. None of us are thrilled about it, and as much as I try to be creative and do fun things, it doesn’t always happen. When the weather is nice, screens are off. But, when the weather doesn’t cooperate, extra screen time for the kids might just be the difference between a peaceful afternoon and a mutual meltdown.
Just one warning I must share; screens emit a lot of blue light which can interfere with the body’s natural circadian rhythm and melatonin production. Don’t worry about your kids indulging in some extra screen time, but make sure to turn them off two hours before bedtime. (The screens, not your kids.)
- Keep ringing the dinner bell
This one doesn’t seem to be a problem for my kids, their bodies are very in tuned to when it’s time to eat. Since the quarantine, we’ve actually had screen free mealtimes which my oldest loves. This didn’t always happen before. She enjoys setting the table and helping get dinner ready.
When it comes to mealtimes, try to stay as consistent as possible. If you allow meal and snack times to fluctuate too much it can end up disrupting your children’s schedule. Sugary snacks will likely leave them with too much energy come bedtime and the occasional upset tummy, so keep an eye on how much junk food they’re getting into. Or if you’re like me and you’ve been baking a lot more, try to pull back a little.
- Embrace your inner architect
With everyone being housebound, your kids are likely going to have a ton of excess energy. With no playground to play on and no friends to chase around, you’re going to need to get creative to help them tire themselves out. Getting outside is a good idea. We have gone through a ton of bubbles during this quarantine. It makes them happy and helps them expend that extra energy! Sidewalk chalk is also a fun activity to do outside.
Sunlight will help maintain the circadian rhythm and a bike ride or even a brisk walk can help reduce feelings of confinement and keep you and your kids from going stir crazy. That’s if the weather cooperates! If you are stuck inside for a little bit, building a fort out of cushions and sheets and whatever else you can find is a fun alternative! Not only does it make for an entertaining activity, but it keeps their imagination alive. We often will snuggle underneath the fort and watch a movie!
- Early to bed, early to rise…
Now, since many of us are no longer under any obligation to get up for work and school, we might get to thinking that this is a good opportunity for everybody to catch up on some sleep by turning off the morning alarms. That is if your child isn’t an early riser. My two girls are always awake by 6:30/7 AM which worked very well for being up and getting ready for school.
I would be tempted to do so myself if my kids would sleep in, to be honest. But sticking to the usual bedtimes and wake up times is really important. Predictability and structure are, again, sources of comfort for our kids, so even though there’s no morning bell, it’s still a good idea to keep things on schedule. Besides, things are eventually going to go back to normal, and trying to get them back onto their usual schedule is going to be a challenge. You’re better off just sticking to the tried and true. Plus, I would rather an early bedtime for the kids over sleeping in, but maybe that’s just me.
- Deep breath in, deep breath out
For older kids, some deep breathing exercises during their bedtime routine can help to settle them down at the end of the day. I’m not suggesting they start meditation classes or anything, but deep breathing games can actually be a lot of fun! Check out Coping Skills for Kids for a ton of great ideas.
Oh, and this is also great advice for us parents as well. I have had more than my fair share of stressful moments where I needed to take a deep breath. Whenever you feel overwhelmed, try to pause and breathe in and out.
- Don’t panic
Outside of the sleep realm, there are a couple of other tips I’d like to offer you. As you undoubtedly know, kids are perceptive little creatures, and they probably know that there’s something serious happening at the moment. They might not bring it up too much, but there’s likely something pinging around in the back of their heads that has them a little bit on edge.
This can be amplified if they see that their parents are concerned and on edge as well, so try to keep the atmosphere cheery and light. I know it’s not easy given the circumstances but stressed out kids aren’t going to improve the situation. If they have questions, of course you should be honest and forthcoming, but your attitude towards things will work wonders in keeping their minds at ease.
- Focus on the good stuff
Last but not least, try not to watch the news coverage with the kids around. They’re always listening and hearing terms like, “death toll,” and “fatal disease” is going to increase their stress levels. It’s important to stay informed but do so after they’ve gone to bed.
I look forward to getting back to a time when we can discuss less serious things with each other again, and look back at this time as one where we all came together (even while we’re so far apart) and made the best of a really bad situation. Until then, wash your hands, stay at home, and make the best of this quarantine. Let’s try to use this time as an opportunity to slow down and connect with our kids.