We’ve been told to stay at home! We, along with so many others, are doing our part to prevent the spread of coronavirus here in the U.S. by staying at home. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy. Staying at home with kids can be overwhelming, stressful and loud.
I’m excited to share some tips and resources for self-quarantine or social distancing at home with kids. The COVID-19 global pandemic has put a lot of parents in a homeschooling or full-time caregiving role. My husband David and I previously homeschooled our kids for several years. It’s overwhelming for sure, but the thing I keep coming back to is this: in times of stress, get organized.
Here are five things that help:
- Develop a daily routine. Break up your day into morning, afternoon and evening blocks. Can you find a rhythm or a flow for the tasks that have to get done, or the activities you want to accomplish as a family?
- Map out your weekly schedule. Look at each day of the week together for perspective on what lies ahead. You might need to trade off duties with your partner during a work conference call or make time for a video check-in with your kid’s school. It’s also fun to schedule things to look forward to like FaceTimes with friends or family members!
- Create lists to stay on track. I love lists. Lists are therapeutic! Lists are fun! Lists work! Use lists to track homeschooling for each kid, outline tasks from your children’s teachers, and your own work or home projects. We have five cute notepads in our shop for list-making.
- Plan for rainy day activities. Ideally, your family has a chance to get outside, even for a few minutes, each day. If the weather or your situation doesn’t allow for it, keep a running list of activities to keep the kids busy inside. We share a couple of great ideas in our new printable pack!
- Remember to practice self-care and give yourself extra grace. Drink your water, make sure you’re getting enough sleep. Know you are doing a great job… even if it doesn’t feel like it, even if the kids have way more screen time than usual, even if you can’t stop eating snacks. You are doing a great job!
I did a page-by-page walk-thru of our At Home with Kids Printable Pack on IGTV. It’s our resource guide to social distancing and self-quarantining at home with kids. It will lead you in developing a schedule, getting organized with homeschooling, and planning creative activities to keep the kids busy. Shop the printable pack HERE. It’s a 19-page digital download full of great resources.
Speaking of resources, our printable shop is full of FREE tools you might find helpful including my weekly meal planner, a grocery and pantry list organizer, project list template and the HEART Goals checklist.
What other digital resources would help you right now? Share below or message me over on Instagram @whitneyenglish. I want to hear from you!
