One of the biggest concerns that I have been hearing recently has been what parents can do to keep their children active and not merely in front of screen during this time. How can we have some sort of “normalcy” during this time? I am sure that there are many helpful articles out there (and I will seek to pass several of those along as well) but here are some things that might help a family who has their children at home more than usual.
Exercise
Going to a gym or sports practice seems to be a “no-go” right now since things are touched by everyone. So, how do we stay active? Here are some helpful tips:Walk/Run/Bike around the neighborhood. You can still practice “social distancing” by walking around the neighborhood with your friends.
Find good YouTube workout videos. There are TONS of people who have developed helpful videos for at-home workouts with no weights needed. Trust me, if you find the right video, it’ll get the job done.
Walk the dog/cat/hamster. Just kidding. Don’t walk the cat. I’ve done that before. We hardly got 50 feet.
Yard Work
The grass is growing. Get out there and cut the grass! Look, you can even spread it out. Cut the back yard one day and cut the front yard the next day. As experts are telling us, it helps to be outside in the heat to defeat the spread of the disease.Pick up books
This is the perfect time to replace the phone, Netflix, and video games with a good book. Pick up Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, or The Hunger Games. Read a good fiction book. Get immersed in the wonder of a good story told. Pick up a good book to aid in the Christian life. Check out books by John Piper, Tim Keller, Kevin DeYoung. Don’t do audiobooks! Get a real book in your kid’s hands. Matter of fact, I bet Amazon will still deliver books to you!Grill Out, Bake, Cook
Teach the kids how to cook. Parents, what could be better than you taking time to teach the kids how to grill out, bake, and cook now so that when life gets back to normal you can get your kids to cook for you? Teach them how to cook the basics so that they don’t have to survive on Easy Mac and Ramen Noodles when they go to college. They’ll make more friends when they know how to make an awesome “White Chicken Chili”. Don’t microwave food (unless it’s leftovers). Enjoy the process of creating, putting together, and enjoying a hard-earned craft. Cooking can take about an hour to three hours from getting off the couch to finishing your last bite. Take advantage of it.Find a Hobby on YouTube
I have seen several of our students who can woodwork, build stuff and every other synonym that goes with what I just said. There are tons of awesome tutorials and “how-to” videos on YouTube that our students have already learned from. I know students who have learned how to work on cars, knit, cook, bake, do magic tricks, play the guitar, and many other things off of YouTube. Take advantage of technology during this time to get them to do things that will take their eyes off of screens. Yes, it means that they’ll have to get on screens in order to find something. But, it’ll pay off in the end.Space Out Your Entertainment
One of the best ways to promote boredom and complaining teenagers is if we watch all of our entertainment in only a few days (or hours!). Space it out. Don’t watch a movie every night. Don’t spend all the time in front of the TV. To be sure, we need to watch how much we’re in front of screens but let’s also be realistic that we will certainly be in front of screens a good amount during this time. This isn’t all bad. We just need to be good stewards.Board Games
It’s time to break out the board games. There are some really fun games you can purchase or dust off:Bang!
Pandemic (Yes, this might be the most fitting game during this time!)
Forbidden Island
Risk
Ticket To Ride
Settlers of Catan
Exploding Kittens (don’t worry, it’s a fun and silly game)
Superfight
Keep a Normal Sleep Schedule
Not every day is the weekend. Even though it feels different, avoid the late nights. Go to bed at a normal time and wake up at a normal time. This is definitely a time to get more sleep (as many youths get only around 4-6 hours a night) but don’t over-sleep.Don’t Wear “Lazy Clothes” All The Time
When I was on my “paternity leave” with Knox, I quickly realized that if I put on jeans, shoes, and a decent shirt that I would not feel as drowsy and lazy. Get your kids to still put on decent clothes at times to help the mood. Now, to be sure, don’t make them wear their school uniforms or a suit. Actually, I’d love to see kids wear suits. Send me the pictures! But seriously, don’t go overboard but do figure ways to have them realize that it’s not the Summer yet.Get on FaceTime and Make Phone Calls; Don’t Just Text
Get the kids off of texting during this time and get them on FaceTime, House Party, Instagram Live, or whatever else it is to get them talking with each other. Keep up social contact during this time but foster good conversations and not sporadic texting. Bring back the days where you might have a 30+ minute phone conversation with one person. That’s not bad!Don’t Overload Chores
Some of us might be grinning from ear to ear like the cartoon Grinch did when he figured out how he could destroy Christmas. Don’t overload your kids with chores. Like the entertainment, space it out. Don’t burn them out. Dads, don’t burn your kids out of yard work. Get them outside but don’t keep them outside until the sun goes down. Moms, don’t worry if they take some time to sit down and watch TV or play games. Give them stuff to do but give them time to hang out. It’s very healthy for them to work hard AND play hard. That creates a good mindset. We don’t want workaholics. We want to create good stewards.Consider Buying “Table Topics”
This is one of the BEST conversation starters. It’s a box of tons of questions that help you start genuine conversations. Grace and I have done these and one day we spent hours outside without phones going through some questions. There are tons of different options that they have. I’ll include some below:Go Fishing!
This is a great way to get outside and still have social distance. Get your hands dirty. Dig up some worms from the ground. This is a good way to get with friends without getting sneezed on.Make A Literal Bucket List
Make a bucket list or a “jar” list that you write your own ideas on. Do one a day. Figure out some fun things that you know your family loves to do.Plant a Garden
Plant some thyme, oregano, basil, tomatoes, peppers, and anything that you can consume. Plant some bushes, flowers, vines, or whatever else to decorate your home. If your kids help you plant the garden, I guarantee you they’ll think twice before running through it next time.