I know that these are uncertain and rather scary times. For many, your world has been turned upside down, and we all face days filled with question marks.
I want to take a few minutes to encourage you. First of all, please know that this will end. Only God knows the timing, but it will pass and we will survive. In the meantime, we may face inconveniences and maybe illness or financial stress. However, I can’t help but see that some good can come out of it all.
I see families spending more time at home together because all the distractions are gone. I’ve told parents for years to be intentional about spending time with their kids, and that includes just hanging out.
The circumstances we face are tragic, but you have been forced into having family time that maybe you’ve not had for a while because you’ve been too busy with kids running here, there and everywhere.
Instead of complaining about the time at home with kids or feeling trapped, I encourage you to make the most of it; make some memories that will stick with your kids forever. Here are a few ideas:
Make up Your Own “March Madness”.
Pick a game your family likes to play and compete against each other. Or choose an online game and play it with another family. This would be a great time for a video game tournament.
Watch a Series of Movies.
Introduce your kids to some older movie series, like Rocky or Back to the Future. Have a Star Wars marathon, watching them all in chronological order.
Make a Photo Album.
This is actually something I hope to do. I went through all my Facebook photos and plan to make a photo album digitally that I can have printed. Let your kids go through their Facebook photos or instagram photos and design their own album.
Read.
You may think your kids will never go for this suggestion, but let them choose a book (borrow from friends if the library or bookstore is not an option) and designate a “reading time.” You can read together or let them read alone. And then follow it up with letting them choose a fun thing to do.
Create a Family Journal.
Let each family member write down something in a family journal that happened during the day or their feelings about the whole virus experience. You will find it very enlightening when you go back to read it later.
Take Time Every Night to be Grateful.
It’s easy to forget the positives that happen every day. A study has shown that people who go to bed thinking about things they are grateful for are more optimistic, resilient and emotionally healthy. Talk about it at the dinner table or before bedtime.
Get Outside.
Make a point of spending at least 30 minutes outside in the sunshine. I was reading a study the other day that claimed that sunshine builds up immunities. That Vitamin D is good stuff!
Go bike riding, on a nature walk–all the things that families used to do before they got so busy.
Visit Online Museums and Places of Interest.
Here is a list of virtual field trips you and your kids can take. If you google online museums, you will find a whole bunch of places that offer the experience for your family.
Go Fishing.
If you have access to a place where you can do that, you can introduce your kids to one of the best family bonding experiences there is.
Put on a Family Play.
Let the kids write and direct it. Have a designated video person because this is one memory you will treasure forever.
You Have Been Given a Gift.
Can I be so bold to suggest that we’ve all been given a gift? Yes, it’s wrapped in a scary package of uncertainty, but this gift of time with your family that you had not counted on is an opportunity that you may never have again. I know this was thrust upon us, and the circumstances are tragic for some and just plain inconvenient for others, but please don’t let it go to waste.
If you need to talk with something or your kids are driving you crazy, please schedule a free call here. I want to help you get through this time anyway I can.