How to Survive at Home with Kids During the Pandemic

Over the last few months, life as we know it has been upended by the coronavirus pandemic. Millions of parents instantly assumed the impossible job of loving, teaching, and caring for their children while working and living through a global crisis.

It’s an impossible job in an impossible situation. And it will go on for much longer than we wish or want. Our only choice is to keep giving it our best, day in and day out.

So, how do you do it? How do you survive at home with kids and stay sane during a pandemic? 

Focus and prioritize

This is a stressful time, and it’s not normal. During this time, stay focused on your top priority: the family’s mental health. Kids are emotional sponges, and they will pick up on any stress or tension in the house.

Parents all over the world are seeing regressions in their children, whether that means their preschooler is now wetting his pants or their school-aged child is having intense tantrums.

This is a time to give yourself and others grace. Be sensitive and kind. Be flexible. Understand that we are all going through something profound and for many of us, this time is scary. This includes your children, who may be experiencing heightened anxiety, fear, and stress.

If you have children who have been in school and/or daycare, know that their teachers and caregivers will meet them where they are when school or care eventually resumes. Your job as a parent is to shower them with love and reassurance and to be a positive role model for them. 

Create a schedule

Many kids thrive on structure. School is a highly structured environment, so it can be helpful to recreate this as much as possible at home. What this can look like can differ from family to family but could include:

• Breakfast
• Getting dressed in school or play clothes, rather than pajamas
• Morning routine, including discussing the weather and singing a song
• E-learning
• Recess, including going outside
• Lunch
• Mandatory “quiet time” for reading, drawing, or a nap 

Outdoor activities

Being outside in nature can be very soothing during this time. We all need to be reminded of our place in the natural world. With spring in bloom (and summer not far behind), you could make a family activity out of searching for signs of spring or completing a nature scavenger hunt. Consider sharing time as a family with one of these outdoor activities:

• Planting a vegetable or flower garden. If you have very little space, you can even make pots out of old milk jugs.
• Creating a “leaf scroll” by collecting sample leaves from trees on your street or near your house and pressing them between two sheets of waxed paper
• Learning the names of the flowers near you
• Learning about the life cycles of common insects, like butterflies and moths, cicadas, ladybugs and more
• Familiarizing yourselves with the names of clouds and using them to predict the weather
• Learning a few constellations and checking them out in the sky at night 

Ways to burn off energy

Kids have an abundance of energy—and not just human ones. Think about calves, foals, or bear cubs bounding ahead of and around their mothers. This natural exuberance can be at odds with the adult need to get things done or focus on a task, and it can lead to conflict at home.

Look for ways during this time to channel your children’s energy. These don’t have to be elaborate or highly coached by parents. They can be dance parties, friendly fighting, races around the yard, or unstructured play. In fact, putting kids in charge of their own creativity and games can be a powerful way to help them learn to entertain themselves. There is no time like the present to help nurture this lifelong skill. 

Mindfulness and relaxation

Many kids are very good at high-energy activities but struggle with ways to calm themselves. When your children are receptive, introducing simple ways to tune into the moment can be very helpful. You might choose ideas from this list: 

• Try a one-minute “nature listen.” Set a timer, and for one full minute listen to all the sounds you can hear in nature. Take note of the sound of the breeze, the leaves in the trees, and the birdsong around you. Then, describe what you hear.
• Blow bubbles. You can make your own solution at home with 4 cups warm water, a half-cup of sugar, and a half-cup of dish soap. If you have time, let it sit for two hours before blowing bubbles.
• Have a mindful snack. Ask your children to describe the taste and texture of what they are eating.
• Activities with a left-to-right motion, like colouring, beading, making friendship bracelets or weaving, have a soothing effect on the brain.

This time is challenging for everyone. Understand that it is a time to endure, not to excel. Give yourself and your family the grace to accept this moment. Spend time outdoors when you can and take comfort in nature when it is available. Know that it, too, shall pass.

Be well and stay safe.