First, check with your local ordinances about varying rules. Currently, in the Los Angeles area, we are on shelter in place orders with hopes of restrictions being lifted soon. In the meantime, check out these exciting and safe activities to break up your quarantine!
Break Up Your Quarantine with Your Kids
Kids react best to having a daily routine throughout their day, so a good first step would be to organize a somewhat loose and somewhat rigid schedule for everyone in your family to follow. Create two different schedules: one for the weekdays, one for the weekend. The schedule should include educational activities as well as physical ones. Additionally, include family-building and bonding activities so that you grow together as a unit.
For example, you can take your children through the history of you and your partner’s family tree so they can simultaneously learn about their history and have fun. For fun physical activities, you can create a fort out of pillows and sheets and play “the floor is lava”. Take this game outside to play hopscotch or sidewalk chalk games! Making sure that your kiddos are exercised both physically and mentally is important for their development.
Activities for Yourself
These times are extremely trying and can be very strenuous, so taking time for yourself is more important now more than ever. Don’t beat yourself up if you are not being 100% productive every single day. Give yourself a break and realize that these times are unprecedented and unpredictable. While meditation is something that some people may feel alienated from, it can be done while performing simple tasks.
For me personally, I like to rest my mind and meditate while performing “mindless tasks”, such as vacuuming the house or washing my face. I call these tasks “self-care,” since they allow me to cleanse my home or my person while meditating my mind. Meditation doesn’t necessarily have to be you sitting cross-legged and humming to yourself, it can also be done in other ways. The key is to clear your mind. How you get there will up to you.
Activities for You and Your partner:
Whether or not your relationship is tried and true or just newly blossomed, you can spend quality time with your significant other during these hunker downtimes. These times were meant to be spent with as few people as possible, and if that’s just you and your special person, an opportunity for growth is on the horizon. Spend this time with them learning about each other and then discovering yourselves as a couple.
Planning a date night at home, for example, can be super romantic. This can show your person that you can plan a fun event even if it doesn’t involve leaving the house. Cooking a meal and setting up a romantic dinner can show them that you care about them now more than ever while also making them feel safe, secure, and loved. Streaming activities such as a wine tasting or virtual games can spark fun as well, resulting in a happy environment for everyone.
