The days are all blending together. Everyone is home. Space is limited. Cabin fever is real. Things may feel out of control.
Creating order in chaos is key to enduring these long days. Right now you are faced with many unknowns, but your family can build patterns, routines, and rhythms to help you navigate this crisis.
Here are a few suggestions to get you started:
- Focus on building a routine.
Think about the flow of your day as rhythms and patterns, instead of adhering to a strict time schedule. This type of schedule allows for everyday interruptions.
- Divide your day into blocks.
These blocks should be manageable chunks of time. This is especially helpful when managing schedules for multiple children, plus your own personal time. Once your day is divided into blocks, assign 1-3 general tasks per block. Examples may include academic time, creative time, cleaning, outdoor play, physical activity, family time, etc.
- Set aside a planning time before the week begins. Here are some things to consider when planning:
- Think through specific activities that may fill your general blocks.
- Have a list of workouts or physical activities for your children to use during PE
- Have a list of chores ready per child.
- Think through some activities for the family when boredom hits.
Additional Tips:
- Have the children get ready for school as if they were leaving the house: brush teeth, comb hair, put on clothes.
- Children should be helping with the housework! With everyone at home there are more messes to clean so involve them since they are an integral part of the household.
- Take this time to teach your children life skills; cooking, baking, doing laundry, mowing the lawn, etc. Create a list of age-appropriate skills for each child. We have the gift of time in this season so see it as a chance to teach your children new tasks.
- Make sure to get outside everyday!
- Download our sample block schedule as well as a blank schedule to make it your own!