This not-so-brave new COVID-19 world we’re all living through is a challenge. Most states, including Washington, have issued a stay-at-home quarantine declaration, and confining yourself and your kids at home watching TV and getting in each other’s way will eventually have everyone climbing the walls. But there are ways to cope.
Home Schooling
Not only is everyone fighting over what to watch or what’s left to eat in the house, but now parents have suddenly been thrust into the role of home school teachers during this stay-at-home quarantine. Getting kids to stay motivated when they’re staring into a virtual classroom on their laptop is difficult, to say the least.
Luckily, there are resources available to supplement those homework packets, everything from suggested grade-appropriate reading lists and daily course outlines from Scholastic to youth cooking and art classes. While some of these are paid services, many websites are offering significant discounts or free trials, perfect for a 14-day quarantine.
Don’t let your children be the only ones in your household reaping the benefits of online learning. There are amazing opportunities to expand your own learning, too. Maybe you’d like to study Financial Markets at Yale. This comprehensive list on FreeCodeCamp.org offers 450 Ivy League courses currently available online for free.
If you’re an artist or even an art historian, there are several online art classes ready for streaming. Artsy.com lists 10 university-level courses on art history like Comics: Art in Relationship from California College of the Arts.
Artists wanting to brush up on their skills can view plenty of YouTube instructional videos. Jerry’s Artarama is a great video resource. Doodlers, too, can take a course from “Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus” children’s author Mo Willems. Children also will love the guided art lessons featured on YouTube from ArtforKidsHub.com.
Home Activities
The number of things you can do outside during the stay-at-home quarantine is rapidly diminishing. Travel by airplane is frowned upon, public transit is not safe, restaurants are closed, and most entertainment has been declared off-limits. No sports, theaters, fitness clubs, or any venue where 10 or more people gather. Even golf courses, which are an open-air activity where social distancing is simple, is not considered a good idea.
If your Spring Break plans of visiting Great Wolf Lodge, the zoo or a local theater production have officially been quashed, there are still virtual options for exploring new destinations, wandering through iconic online museums and even peeking in on your favorite zoo creatures.
Concert cancellations bringing you down? Time to don your favorite band T-shirt and watch streamed concerts from favorites like Coldplay’s Chris Martin, Keith Urban, P!nk, John Legend and others.
Exercise
Go on a run or walk. Just because you need to stay away from others during stay-at-home quarantine doesn’t mean you can’t go outside. In fact, getting outside – but practicing social distancing – is a good thing. Whether it’s walking the dog every day or riding your bike, try to stay active and get some fresh air. Your mental sanity and health will thank you.
Workout at home. There are a number of exercises you can do at home, even if you don’t have workout equipment. Jumping jacks, sit-ups, stretching and push-ups can all be done without any equipment. If you have a jump rope and you can manage to keep it from tangling around your feet, that’s an excellent form of cardiovascular exercise. If you’re lucky enough to have a rowing machine, a stationary bike or elliptical exercise machine, then schedule some time on that once a day. You’ll feel much better after getting some physical activity.
As our nation hunkers down over the next couple of weeks for some social distancing, let’s try to keep our sanity. Seek out alternative ideas for expanding your knowledge, virtually exploring the world around us and uncovering alternative ways to be entertained.
And remember that at some point we will get past this and return to some semblance of normal.
Sources: https://www.heraldextra.com, https://themercury.com
