Corona Survival Tips

  Lots of people are metaphorically running around like chickens with their heads cut off now that the whole social distancing thing is becoming so widespread and unavoidable. Frankly, I'm not too bothered by it because I didn't really go out much to begin with. But I know many of you have kids at home who normally aren't or your work has been called off or you may have been exposed so you're under quarantine. There is also the reality of American life being dominated by screens, and it will be quite easy to stay glued to them while we're all stuck at home. I'm writing this post to help break up the monotony, and hopefully assist you in making memories during this unique time.

• Make movies a treat. I know how easy it is to use a movie to quiet the kids or distract ourselves. But for now, movies will be a good bargaining tool for getting your kids to finish their school, and give them something to look forward to. Designate one or two nights per week as movie night, complete with popcorn and candy. Have a movie agreed upon beforehand.
• Pray. Just do it.
• Read! So many people say they would read if they had more time. Well now ya do, so dust off the novel on your nightstand and crack it open.
• Try out new recipes, or just make a bunch of cookies. Get the kids involved.
• If you have board games, play them. Kids love to be included in things like board games. It makes them feel grown up.
• Bust out a deck of cards. There is a multitude of games and learning activities to be had from a single deck of cards. (War, Spoons, Baloney, Golf, Solitaire, Go Fish...) YouTube will have more ideas.
• Speaking of YouTube...learn a skill! My coworker is a very talented self taught crochet master. It's incredible what you can teach yourself from there.
• FaceTime long distance family and friends. Make it a date. A good friend and I occasionally have coffee phone dates since we live hours apart.
• Go for nature walks. As long as you stay in groups smaller than 10 and don't breath in each other's faces, going for a wall is totally okay. Try to find as many signs of spring as you can.
• Tackle a home project. If you have a house, I'm sure there is at least one item on your to do list. Whether it's organizing your closet or just catching up on the dishes, checking something off will give you a well deserved sense of achievement.
• Journal about this experience. Lord willing, nothing like this will ever happen again so write down all that is happening. You'll thank me later.
• Advance your faith. Do a family Novena, read a Bible story each day with your kids, read an apologetics book. Put God in the center of all of this.

  It is a growing thought, and one I think is accurate, that this whole social distancing is God's way of telling us to slow down. We are just way too busy! It's a forced way of realigning our lives with His will and embracing each moment as it is given. We aren't guaranteed tomorrow. Clearing our calendars may be tough, but hopefully by the end of it all we will be able to see and better seek out more open days on our schedules. That there will be a renewed sense of peace to our lives, and more ease in connecting with our Lord and with each other.

  Now for more tips.

  My younger 4 siblings are homeschooled, and I have been their substitute on more than one occasion. I know many parents are struggling right now to figure out navigating being the teacher, so here are a few tips and tricks to make things easier. I would also definitely suggest reaching out to homeschool families that you know for suggestions. They're the pros.

• Have a daily routine. Your kids will definitely benefit from an extra hour or so of sleep, but make sure they are awake and ready to start their schoolwork by 9:30 or 10am. Their minds and bodies will stay more in school mode that way. It won't be a regular 8 hour school day, thankfully, because it will be more at the individual's pace.
• Keep the schoolwork Monday through Friday if you can.
• Have a to do list for the day/week. There are still deadlines for assignments.
• They can wear their PJs, but wearing regular clothes has been shown to increase productivity.
• If you feel them getting antsy, take a break. But then get back to it after 10 minutes or so.
• Reward them for being good students! This is hard for them, too.
• Utilize all of the free resources, and learn with them. National parks and zoos, along with other places, are offering virtual tours for learning opportunities. It is helpful for kids to learn about something they are interested in.

Here are some resources:

National Park virtual tours: https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/travel-trivia/need-to-get-outside-these-5-national-parks-offer-virtual-tours-you-can-take-from-the-comfort-of-home/ar-BB11iIuj?li=BBnbfcL
6 different categories of virtual tours, including museums, Mars, and Hawaii: https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2020/03/16/social-distancing-free-virtual-tours/5060244002/
ABC Mouse, a well used online schooling tool:https://www.abcmouse.com/abt/homepage?8a08850bc2=T1067038644.1584499608.2495
Scholastic is offering free classes to use at home: https://classroommagazines.scholastic.com/support/learnathome.html
Sweeping Up Joy is a wonderful blog written by a dear family friend who homeschools: https://www.sweepingupjoy.com/tag/homeschool/

(This is a favorite recipe, and it is very easy.)