Everything’s changed since the start of the Pandemic, nearly a year ago. With so many businesses closed and restrictions in place, having fun just isn’t as assessable anymore. But what does this mean for our children? Are they to be locked away in their rooms into all of this is over? For me, that just isn’t practical. Here are a few steps I take to ensure their safety and entertainment…
• Increase Family Time.
This is something I should have been doing regardless, but being stuck in house has made me realize how important family time really is. I’ve been consistent with planning movie and game nights with my girls, at least twice a week. It gives us all something to look forward to, as well as takes our minds off of what we’ve otherwise been missing. Plus, spending time with your family is just a great thing to do.
*Oh, and by the way, spending time with friends has been a no-no. We just can’t be sure of what other families are doing, and how cautious they’ve been. – Keep that in mind.*
• RESPONSIBLY enjoy the usual activities.
We’ve been doing some of our usual activities, but obviously, not in the same manner. Dining out, family outings – such as Dave and Busters and other public venues are still on my agenda, except this time with a lot more precaution. For one, I make sure we don’t go anywhere during peak hours. Avoiding large crowds and securing our space is absolutely my top priority. I also favor places who have extreme social distancing guidelines in place. Jamil and I recently went to a restaurant that basically had no regard for COVID. Although we went during their downtime, it quickly turned into a nightclub. Literally jammed packed and not a mask in site. Needless to say, we packed the remainder of our food to go and got out of there! Don’t be afraid to use outside venues as a source of entertainment. Just please, keep in mind that your safety ALWAYS comes first.
• Incorporate More Outdoor Activities.
When all else fails, I like to get outside. If only for a walk around the block or a bike ride through the park, this is another way to keep your children entertained. If your teens are anything like mine, this is their least favorite thing to do. But hey, anything beats allowing them to sit around on Tik Tok all day… right? My youngest, who’s three, likes to collect leaves and flowers (and chase birds, but that’s another story), and that’s really all the fun she needs. If we didn’t do anything else, she would be happy with just spending a little time outdoors everyday. And aside from being a source of entertainment, it also keeps us active. I don’t know about ya’ll, but this ‘quarantine weight’ has been real!
• Adopt a New Hobby
Now is the perfect time to learn a new skill or brush up on an old hobby that interests you. My stepdaughter is a very gifted artist. She spends most of her time drawing and painting on her downtime. I don’t think she even notices when we’ve been in the house for a week straight, because she gets so lost in what she’s doing. For my oldest, her go-to hobby has been journaling. And the baby of the crew has been using arts and crafts and reading books together as her means of entertainment. I’ve also used this time sit with them and establish goal setting. This gives us an added list of things to do and work on.
This is our new norm. And honestly, I don’t see that changing anytime soon. So learn to improvise in such a way that allows you and your family to have fun, with safety at the forefront. Because, we still have lives to live don’t we?
How have you been keeping your children entertained, and what strategies do you use to ensure optimal safety?
XO,
Lexi 💋
