How often have you said, “If only I could have some more free time?” The answer is usually, “I’d spend more time with my kids and family,” or “I could get some things done around the house.” For a number of us, the “Quarantine” is a “Gift of Time.” Before too long we will all be back in the rat race at work, stressed out and looking at the clock. Why not take this gift of time and do the things around the house that have been on your “To Do List” and get to know your family better, especially your kids.
Here are some suggestions:
- Organize and label those boxes of family pictures. Scan them to a hard drive or put them in a scrap book. The kids can help, and you can all take a stroll down memory lane.
- Teach your kids life skills (chores) that they don’t get in school.
- How to clean- pick any room in the house. It’s Spring cleaning!
- Wash the windows
- How to cook simple meals
- How to sew on a button.
- How to make up a bed
- Remember those outdoor projects you wanted to do. Take the kids outside and plant a small garden or pot some plants. They can take ownership in growing food for the family.
- Take some time and talk to your kids about any number of subjects that are on your heart.
- Teach them to pray, God knows the school doesn’t teach that!
- Teach them penmanship, the lost skill of writing by hand and practice signatures.
- Kids can also make daily calls to cheer up love ones and maybe face time them.
- Kids are used to time structure, so make a chart of things to do and the time to do them.
- Give out schoolwork assignments and the let them spend time on reading, math or any subject they need to improve upon.
Thousands of Americans have self-quarantine themselves at home. But it does not have to be the dire situation the media describes to us daily. When did staying at home with your kids become a dire situation? I know people are looking for work and applying for unemployment, but a large number of people are just waiting to go back to work.
Most important of all take this time to show some extra love to your family because if you were in your regular work routine you would not have time for that.
