Keeping a Routine

I’m a teacher, so I am still working in this quarantine time, but it’s a very different type of work. I’m calling parents, setting up online learning, and posting options of activities to work on for the students. We are not taking grades and it feels weird to not be in front of my students on a day to day basis. Since my workload is lighter, it’s pretty easy for me to just watch Netflix and sit around my house. It would be super easy for me to allow my kids to do that too. But, that’s not good for their developing brains nor is it good for any of our physical, emotional, or mental states.

We are going to have a family meeting and in this meeting we are going to talk about our new normal. Our old normal was going to school, running around to activities, and having dinner together most nights. Our new normal is looking very different. We can’t GO do anything, so how are we going to keep ourselves entertained, stimulated, keep learning, and make sure we are meeting all of our needs? I’ve talked with family and friends and have come up with a list of items to make sure we do everyday so that we have a routine and also that we maintain our sanity.

Daily non-negotiables will be:

1. Personal Hygiene- you still need to brush your teeth, wash your face, etc. everyday. And don’t forget handwashing! We were already pretty good about that, but we’ve stepped it up. My kids mostly shower every other day and I’m fine with that.
2. Meal time- we will have a meal together everyday. Since we’re all home, we might have more than one meal together! And everyone must eat meals. Don’t just eat snack food. You need to feed your body well.
3. Physical activity- My kids are used to going to dance class or soccer practice or PE at school. We need to keep up some sort of activity. My daughter has been stretching to make sure she doesn’t lose her flexibility for cheer and dance. My other two kids have been great about riding their scooters and bikes, and taking walks with me. We’ve had a couple dance parties and I might even break out the yoga DVD.
4. School time- Our school district is still working on an exact way to continue schooling through all of this. But my kids live with a teacher! They are going to work on SOMETHING. We will have mandatory reading time (yes, mom included) and then mandatory school time. We have gotten some information from their teachers, so we are going with that. If you don’t have info from your child’s teacher and don’t know what to do with them… have them read a book and tell you what it was about, have them write a story about what they did that day, watch an educational video about their favorite animal, etc. There are so many online resources that if you google what you’re looking for, you will stumble onto something educational your child can do!
5. Fresh Air- We usually get that during physical activity, but if we don’t — I’m going to make sure we all get some time outside. The sun and fresh air have so many benefits to your mental and physical health.
6. Household chores — we’re all home! We are using extra dishes, extra art supplies, extra EVERYTHING. We will not live in a messy pit! We will do chores! :)
7. Music/Art- two of my kids play instruments, so they need to practice and all of my kids love to draw. So they can pick one and go with it for the day. I feel like using our creativity makes us all in a better mood.
8. Mental Stimulation — this is different from school time. Pick something you enjoy that stimulates your mind. Reading a favorite book, doing a puzzle, playing cards, playing a board game, scrabble, etc.
9. Social Time- Check in on your friends! Contact someone outside of your house to chat. I’ve had to really work on this one myself. I’ve been trying to make contact with friends and family, but I have to make myself do it. This one is also harder for my youngest child. He doesn’t have a phone or his friends phone numbers, so I’ve had to facetime some of my friends with children the same age so they can chat. His sisters are good about letting him talk to their friends also.
10. Mindfulness practice- Take a few minutes each day to check in with yourself. How are you doing? This is a lot of change! It’s a scary time. Find your feelings and name them. Speak them out loud to someone if you feel comfortable with that.
11. Sleep- Try to go to bed at your regular time and try not to sleep in too much. I’m usually a very early riser and I’ve been allowing myself to sleep in a bit, but not until noon. I even woke my teenager up today at 10:00 am and told her it was time to start her day. My kids want to stay up late because they don’t have school. I’m not being as strict with bedtimes, but they are all still going to bed pretty close to their regular times. This just helps with our routine and our general overall happiness. A well-rested kid/parent is a happy kid/parent.

This might seem like a lot and all of it might not work for your family. Change it as you see fit. I know a lot of parents still have to go to work, or they have to work from home (like my husband). Fitting all of this in might seem daunting, it’s easier than you think! Remember, it only takes two minutes to brush your teeth, reading time only needs to be 15–20 minutes long, and don’t try to make your child have 6 hours of school a day. Make sure your routine is reasonable and doable so that everyone can feel fulfilled, but not have added stress in these already tense times.