How to stay healthy, fit, active and sane while social distancing and staying home with your children
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Hi friends! I know we’ll get through the COVID-19 pandemic together. Each of us needs to do our part to flatten the curve of spread. We must practice social distancing, continue to wash our hands, stay home when we can, and “cancel everything.” This means not going to happy hour, not going to a bar or club, not eating out, not having playdates, and not going to crowded indoor spaces. When we meet other people, we should stay at least six feet away from them. And if we do have to venture out, and we’re sick, we should wear face masks. This sounds like a lot. Cabin fever seems inevitable. Social distancing and staying at home more doesn’t have to mean we’re to rot at home and go stir crazy. There’s so much we can do, and so many must-haves that will help make our lives easier.
First, how do you talk to your children about COVID-19 and the state of the world?
Here is a great compilation of tips on how you can talk to your children about COVID-19. Be available, be truthful, be kind and compassionate, and be available to your children during these times.
Set a routine
Even though schools are closed, children should still have a routine. They should still sleep early, and not sleep in during the weekday. I asked Phil what a day at school looks like. We will begin our weekdays with a “morning meeting”, the Pledge of Allegiance, reading, writing, math, art and baking activities, and Phil will get choice time and play time.
Next Let’s tackle eating in
If you don’t already have an Instant Pot or Instapot (pressure cooker), it’s time to invest in one now. You can easily make so many great meals with an Instant Pot. (Check out this website for over 40 recipes when you need to make dinner in a pinch).
You can also start a meal delivery service. As you’re practicing social distancing and staying at home, you can embrace new habits, such as eating more plant-based foods. Plant-based foods are full of fiber, and fiber nourishes the good bacteria in our bodies. An easy way to begin is to order prepped meals such as vegan smoothies, soups and grain bowls.
Cooking and baking are great activities you and your children can do together. Cooking and baking can both double as STEM activities you can do with your children.
Don’t forget your probiotics!
Probiotics are crucial at this time as we’re over-sanitizing our environments. It’s hypothesized that over-cleanliness and over-sanitizing can lead to allergies and auto-immune problems. You can eat fermented foods like kimchi, natto beans, yogurt, and kefir as they all naturally have probiotics that are great for our guts. You and your children can also take daily probiotics.
How you can exercise indoors
I love my weighted vest (eight pounds) and my TRX-style door-mounted body weight resistance straps. You don’t have to go to a gym while you’re practicing social distancing; you can do a full body workout when right at home. If you don’t feel like you have the time or energy to do full body workouts, you can just do squats and planks to stay fit and strong.
Going outdoors
While playdates are a no go, going outdoors as a family is still OK! So feel free to go biking, jogging, hiking, and walking around the great outdoors. Let your children ride their bikes, scooters, Plasma cars, balance bikes, or use their roller skates and rollerblade. (Make sure they wear their helmets!) If you’re sick, please wear a face mask. Avoid other sick people, and stay at least six feet away from others.
Getting hair cuts
The Phil and Mama family have been getting home hair cuts for years! If you don’t have a hair cutting kit at home, it’s time to invest in one. They are inexpensive, pay for themselves in just one or two haircuts, and can last for years. We’ve had this haircutting kit from Wahl (pictured below) since 2016.
Other activities to do
Before Phil started kindergarten, I taught him how to read using the DISTAR method. You and your children can read more, write together, do arts and crafts, clean the house, play video games, play board games, work on the yard, play with your pet(s), and do other chores together. There’s so much you can do with your children!
We love the board game QWIRKLE and have found the Switch Mario games to be great fun to play together as a family.
Embracing boredom
In our over-stimulating, over-scheduled world, it’s great to give ourselves and our children some down-time. We and our children can learn to relax, smell the spring air, and embrace boredom. In our times of boredom, moments of creativity and genius are often born.
Friends, what are you doing these days to keep sane while practicing social distancing and staying at home with your children? Stay healthy and safe everyone. We’ll get through this pandemic together! We all just need to do our parts.