As a self-proclaimed COVID-19 surviving expert (we have been at this for 58 days), I would love to share a few activities our family has played on repeat in the name of sanity during this time. I can say with complete honesty that if you asked me today, 2 months into social distancing and school closures, I am grateful for this time with my family and the connection it has helped us build! There is good to be found here! Let’s discover it.
As the news hit of the spreading virus, you could feel palpable fear all around our city. There were reports of bare shelves at the grocery store and roads being closed in and out of the city. Like most families, for the first few days we simply stayed home, watched the news and for the sake of our children 6 and 2.5 years old continued celebrating the Lunar New Year. And then it happened. The holiday was “extended” and schools were shutdown.
Our routine was completely turned upside down. As an adult that’s hard. In our household, as parents it was unimaginable. Our kids are action-packed! They are all boy, in every sense of the phrase. They love to run and jump and most days act like they are being raised by wolves. If I’m being completely honest, my biggest worry as our city began to self-quarantine wasn’t the virus itself, it was sanity, for both our kids and my husband and I.
If we did go outside, how would we get a 2-year-old to keep a mask on or stop him from putting his little fingers in his mouth? And so my mission of indoor fun was born! It’s been pretty miraculous really. Everyday I wake up with simple ideas like manna from heaven. We’ve made volcanoes, colored Easter eggs in January and had almost daily dance parties.
Don’t get me wrong. Most days the pendulum swings back and forth from peace to anxiety at least 20 times. Still, most days, I am finding peace in the waiting and such gratitude for this intimate time to pour love and fun into our family.